From the Past
by mew-tsubaki
Summary: After the Second Great War, Hermione tries to lead a normal life. Harry takes good care of her, and there's nothing else she needs...until she finds something of interest. Updated to 17, reviews welcome! 17 has some mature content -beware 17's ending!
1. 1st Tale

**From the Past**

A HariPo fanfic

by mew-tsubaki

Note: The 1st of **To the Future**'s companion stories is here! I'm borrowing J.K. Rowling's charries once more and giving them a delighted storyline to star in. So let's start a little before when **To the Future** begins, and with another special pairing. And REVIEW!!!

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**The First Tale**

_It was a study, but she couldn't get any studying done._

_Instead, she was writing another essay so Ron didn't get in trouble for not doing the homework. She sighed. Was this all she could do for him? It was seventh year, and they were almost done with this last year at Hogwarts. She and Ron had confessed to each other back around his birthday, but dating didn't feel any different from how they usually were. Except for his kisses. An involuntary, pleasureful shiver skittered down her spine. If there was one thing Ron _could_ do, it was kiss. Her toes curled at the thought, but her warm, girly affections attracted a big, black rain cloud._

_"There is nothing happy about the three Unforgiveable Curses, Miss Granger," Severus Snape sneered, reading her words over her shoulder. She noted he was careful not to bump he mudblood arm. Hermione inwardly smirked; she would love to see his reaction if she poked him with her mudblood finger! But she snapped back to the present when he bent further over her and squinted. "Is that Weasley's name scrawled in the top corner?"_

_Crimson, Hermione hurriedly concealed Ron's name with her textbooks. Why, oh why, had that redheaded birdbrain written his name on the paper before giving it to her? And why hadn't she checked?!_

_Taking her actions as an answer, Snape straightened and smirked at her. "I didn't think it was your writing style. Know-It-Alls typically use bigger words. _You_ use the biggest."_

_Hermione's ears perked. She had never thought her writing was _that_ extraordinary; she only ever did the assignment. Maybe this was a way Snape was telling her that she truly was the genius witch of her age? "Thank you, professor."_

_"It wasn't a compliment." His onyx eyes met her fierce umber ones. "The next time you hand in an essay four hundred words over the limit, I will deduct points from Gryffindor."_

_"Yes, professor."_

_Snape walked away, and Hermione found herself glaring at his back, the only way of showing him disrespect without getting in trouble. One day, she would meet his stupid expectations, and what would he have to sneer or smirk about then? She wanted to laugh aloud at her goal, but she had to wonder if she would still feel as driven to work hard when she graduated from Hogwarts._

_Hermione put down her quill and cupped her cheek in her palm. Instinctively, her eyes wandered to the doorway, and Snape glowered at her. She turned away and picked up her quill again, rolling her eyes. There was no chance she would ever meet his expectations._

"Umn…" Hermione awoke dazedly and removed her arm from behind her head. Had she really fallen asleep on the couch? The brunette-blonde rubbed the sand from her eyes, and a book slid from her chest. _Whoops._ She picked the tome up and organized her other books and notes on the coffee table. Recalling her late night, she looked up and saw that the telly was off. _Ah,_ she observed, _Harry must've come home when I was out cold._ Her lips formed a thin line. Work for her was usually like this.

A yowl to her left alerted her of Crookshanks' presence. Hermione smiled at her feline friend, who began purring. Crookshanks also burped up a purple thread.

"You little-!! You ate my favorite violet bell-sleeved top!!" The genius jumped up and glared at the cat. "You'll be kitty stew when we're through!!"

Crooks released a coy 'Mrow?' and dashed when Hermione lunged for him. She followed him with her eyes and chased him as he left through the house's back door. He wouldn't stop even as they reached another street, and Hermione was still hot on his tail (**mt: bad pun, I know, forgive me**).

_Of all the infuriating things-!!!_ she thought, puffing away to keep up with the more nimble Crooks. _First, that terrible memory I dreamed of, then Crooks ate my shirt, and now my cat's leading me on a damned obstacle course! And _why_ did I have to remember that stupid moment anyway?! Snape's a grouchy old arse who's still moody and I'm the one who walked away from things with a boyfriend, a house, and a successful job. I-_ Hermione slowed, and Crookshanks waited for her on the other side of another road. She had lost too much, actually, a few months after graduation. That stupid Second Great War.

"Mrreow!"

She stared at Crooks. In the Second Great War, she had lost Ron. How come she moved on, just like that? Tears brimmed over the edges of her eyelids, but she didn't cry. Things would've been good, but not under these circumstances. Ron should be the one living with her, not Harry.

Another incessant 'meow!', and Hermione admonished herself –well… It's not like she wished Harry dead, but she still wanted Ron. She watched while Crooks stood and displayed his heiny to her. She gasped. "Why, you mangy-!!" He ran off again, and she fled after him.

Street after street, road after road, and a few bridges later, Crookshanks sauntered down a battered gravel path. It wasn't a main street, but there were a few scattered houses, so Hermione continued her pursuit. But just when she thought Crooks gave up, the orange furball darted across the yard of the road's last house, and she tiptoed behind.

"Crookshanks!" she whispered, fearful that she might be caught trespassing. _Cat, when I catch you, I am going to eat you with mashers!_

She stopped. Hermione was almost behind the house now, and she heard someone –_working?_ –outside. Curiosity won and she peeked over the hedges to see who it was. Her jaw fell so fast it was a miracle it didn't unhinge.

Standing there, in sunlight, was Snape. He had his hair loosely tied back and wore nothing but a pair of black, loose-fitting sleep pants. The bat wasn't well-built or anything, but he was in shape. Well in shape.

_Okaaay…_, she thought, suppressing the stupid hormones. _Maybe if I back away quietly, he won't notice I'm here? Yeah, that sounds good. I'll just leave, go home, eat, and pretend I never saw anything._ Her train of thought derailed. _Ooh, food… I should've grabbed a jammy dodger before going after Crooks…_ Unfortunately, at the thought of food, Hermione's stomach growled. She didn't gasp, but she looked up to see if Snape had heard.

He met her eyes. He had heard her borborygmus.

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**Nice start to a companion story, eh? I got REALLY good and…**_**delicious**_** inspiration for chappies 1 & 2, so let's continue on and REVIEW!**

**-mew-tsubaki**


	2. 2nd Tale

**From the Past**

A HariPo fanfic

by mew-tsubaki

Note: The 1st of **To the Future**'s companion stories is here! I'm borrowing J.K. Rowling's charries once more and giving them a delighted storyline to star in. So let's start a little before when **To the Future** begins, and with another special pairing. And REVIEW!!!

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**The Second Tale**

Hermione's stomach roared a second time, and she nervously blushed. "Urm…hello."

Snape gave her an ever-familiar glare. "For what reason is it that I have the displeasure of seeing you at my residence, Granger?"

"I was…chasing my cat after he ran out, and he…led me on a…wild goose-chase…so…" She felt dumber with each word that poured from her mouth. "Look, I'll just get Crookshanks and go. No mention of this to anyone, okay?" Hermione averted her eyes and moved to check an underbrush, but she jumped when Snape caught her arm. "Wh-What?!"

"It would be ill-advised to go near that plant," he sneered. "It's a hybrid Devil's Snare I've been growing to look like peonies. I'll not have the Ministry of Magic showing up on my doorstep because the body of the likes of you winds up dead."

Hermione flared her nostrils. "I'm not your student anymore, Snape. If you want to say 'mudblood', then go right ahead," she brazenly stated.

Snape scoffed, but didn't take her up on her offer. "Do you want to find your mangy feline or not?"

She blinked. "Well, yes. I-" He sauntered off to another set of bushes, seemingly not interested in what she had to say. Hermione frowned and resumed her search. _Just like old times…_ But she caught herself before another memory consumed her. _Not now._

The two of them searched Snape's backyard for ten, fifteen minutes in discomfited silence. Hermione kept her eyes on the greasy black bat and moved to the opposite side of the yard whenever he neared her, and she wished Crooks would turn up so she could go. As if on cue, there was a low, pleasant rumbling behind her. She turned around to find Crookshanks completing a figure eight through Snape's legs. Hermione opened her mouth and suddenly closed it. Her eyes must be playing tricks on her. Snape couldn't possibly be smiling!

Again, her stomach growled. She blushed slightly, and he stared at her. She looked closely, but there was no hint of a smile there. "I guess I'll be going now," she stated.

"Yes. I suppose you must."

Hermione averted her eyes and knelt down, holding out a hand. "Crookshanks! Come on, Crookshanks! Crooksy!!" Finally the cat did as she implored and leapt into her arms. She stood and gave Snape a tiny nod by way of departure, and turned to leave.

"Granger."

The genius faced him once more. She caught a piece of toast. "Thank you. I-"

"No need to thank me. Like I said, I can't have your lifeless body on my property."

"Thank you, nevertheless," Hermione huffed, regifting Snape's glare as if it were a holiday fruitcake. She bit into the toast and set a speedy pace down the road. At the end of the road, she looked up to her left and grimaced. The sign did indeed read "Spinner's End".

Too angry to Apparate, Hermione retraced her steps across town. She munched angrily on the toast and Crooks meowed at her tight grip, but her mind was somewhere else. _He'll always be the same!_ she fumed. The second memory she suppressed earlier resurfaced…

_"I thought geniuses were supposed to let their hair remain unkempt," a haughty voice commented after Potions._

_Hermione nearly jumped. Of course it was Snape behind her; he was always skulking around. But the humidity made her hair especially frizzy and poofy today. She nodded to Padma Patil to go to Ancient Runes without her. "I am simply keeping my hair out of my face. It's been a busy day, professor."_

_Snape's expression twisted into a disgusted one. "That doesn't explain the violent orange of the clip."_

_"I can't help what my mother sends me professor." She glanced at her watch and saw that few of her fellow seventh years strayed in the hallways. "Excuse me, professor. I must get to my next class. Good day, professor." She made a last bit of eye contact, but Snape's expression was inscrutable this time, so Hermione walked down the corridor and went to the next level for Ancient Runes. She just barely made it, and the bushy-haired girl ducked inside to the seat Padma had saved for her. Hermione dropped her bag beside her, put her books on her desk, and was catching her breath when she noticed Padma staring at her. "What is it, Padma?"_

_Padma closed her gaping mouth. "It's nothing. …It's just, wasn't your clip orange earlier?"_

_"What do you mean?"_

_Padma smiled. "I like the black color better. You look classier in it."_

_Hermione didn't know what had happened, but she didn't let it on. She smiled. "Thank you. I…thought so, too."_

_"So what did Snape want?"_

Snape! Of course! Wait –why? _Hermione wondered. She saw Padma waited for a response. "Oh, nothing. Ooh, class is starting. Make sure you have your homework, Padma."_

_That got Padma off her back, but Hermione couldn't concentrate during the rest of her class. It _had_ to have been Snape, but she couldn't reason why. Yes, the orange of her hair clip was ugly, but the clip functioned; that's what counted. So why should Snape care?_

_The genius tsked, despite the rising heat of her cheeks. So what? Snape had only changed something he didn't like to…his…favorite color… She blinked several times in rapid succession. Why bother sharing his favorite color to make a mudblood look more bearable? Hermione shrugged it off. This silly incident didn't matter. She wouldn't have to deal with him for too much longer anyway._

When Hermione thought back, she remembered the sad feeling she got from the idea of leaving Hogwarts. Seven years seemed to stretch on forever and ever. But seeing Snape today made her realize just how much had changed. _Hmm… Seeing Snape…_ She blushed at the image of his bare chest, back, and arms. Hermione couldn't believe herself as so many memories from sixth and seventh years flooded the front of her mind. She shook herself. _Impossible! I do not still have a school girl crush on Severus Snape!_

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**Wheeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee!!! School girl crushes, eh? Let's see what I can do with the sixth book…heh. *evil glint in the eye* Anywho, the next few chappies shall be interesting, as this Snemione story starts a week before the school year does. Should make things fun, no? Hee!**

**DON'T FORGET TO REVIEW!!!**

**-mew-tsubaki**


	3. 3rd Tale

**From the Past**

A HariPo fanfic

by mew-tsubaki

Note: The 1st of **To the Future**'s companion stories is here! I'm borrowing J.K. Rowling's charries once more and giving them a delighted storyline to star in. So let's start a little before when **To the Future** begins, and with another special pairing. And REVIEW!!!

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**The Third Tale**

By the time Hermione reached home, she had finished the piece of toast and Harry was standing outside, waiting for her. Crookshanks leaped from Hermione's arms and padded over to Harry, who appreciatively scratched the cat behind the ear. Then the wizard straightened up. "You all right?"

She nodded. "Crooks led me all over town and I didn't eat, so…"

Harry chuckled and grinned. "Then I'll make you breakfast." Before she could protest, Harry disappeared into their house, so Hermione merely followed him inside.

"When did you get home last night?" she asked him as she met him in the kitchen.

He dug out a frying pan, eggs, and margarine, and turned on the stove top. "Well after you fell asleep," he answered. "I think I arrived around three, three-thirty."

Hermione frowned. "Why does the Auror Office always need to keep you so late?"

"We've had a lot of cataloguing to get through, Hermione," Harry stated, furrowing his brow. "Last night, we finished covering all the cases in Quadrant One." He gave her a half-hearted smile. "So…"

"So the process starts all over again. Great." She heaved a sigh and sat down at the two-chair kitchen table. "What part of the isle's next?"

Harry cracked two eggs and dropped them into the sizzling pan. "Quadrant One was the southernmost tip of the southern half of Britain. Now we start off with bounty-hunting again, but for those involved in cases in the northern part of the south half." He pinched the bridge of his nose in exhaustion. "It's a dull process after the action of bounty-hunting ceases."

"It's hard to believe that there are still so many Dark wizards out there," Hermione commented. She paused. "Shit! I don't have time for breakfast! I need to get the last bit of research to my editor today!" She scrambled in a tizzy, and ended up falling backwards in her chair with a clatter. Harry helped her up.

"You can relax, Hermione," he said with a smile in his voice. "It's Sunday."

Her cheeks burned bright red. "Oh. …Well, since neither of us are working, shall we go out?"

He chuckled. "_After_ you eat."

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The whispers were everywhere, but Harry and Hermione had grown accustomed to the buzzing in their ears years ago. Although, since a little more than a year ago, the tone of the whispers had turned scandalous.

"Look! It's the Boy-Who-Lived!"

"Eh, I don't know… Look how the Brainiac glues herself to him. I bet he's the '_Man_-Who-Lived', now!"

"So, did she just, like, drop the Weasley like a hotcake?"

"Oh, you don't know? Ron Weasley died in the Second Great War. Probably of heartbreak. Can you imagine the betrayal of his girlfriend and best friend cheating behind his back?"

Harry's blood boiled, and he clenched his fists. "That's not what happened…!" Harry spat through gritted teeth.

Sullen, Hermione patted his arm. "Harry, don't worry about it. What matters is that you and I both know that, and that our families and friends know that." She stood on her tiptoes and gave him a peck on the cheek. "Let's continue on."

"Yeah…"

The day was cool and breezy, giving every hint of an oncoming storm. The sun was out, but the clouds obscured the blue sky. Around town, people were dressed in thick sweaters and light jackets. Fall came early to Britain, and it was already here.

Shivering from the chilliness, Hermione braced herself against a wind and tucked her hair behind an ear. Merlin, how she despised cold things…

_"So I was about to toss the Quaffle and score another ten points when a Bludger-"_

_"That's _really_ interesting, Cormac," Hermione interrupted, "but I'm quite thirsty. Could you get me something to drink while I dash to the ladies' room? I'll be right here."_

_The haughty Gryffindor male fixed his hair and shot Hermione a winning smile. "Sure, Hermione."_

_As soon as he walked away, the genius darted in the opposite direction of Cormac McLagen. Unfortunately, she crashed into Snape. She involuntarily gripped his arms and steadied herself, pushing away from his chest. He felt inhumanly cold._

_Snape stared her in the eye. "I suppose you had a nice fall, Miss Granger?"_

_Her cheeks burned violently. "I meant no harm, Professor Snape. I was merely escaping to –I mean, _going_ somewhere." She straightened up and smoothed the blouse and skirt she was wearing for Slughorn's Christmas party. "Happy Christmas, professor."_

_Hermione turned around _again_, but she feared to take another step. The vampire Sanguini, who had been brought by one of Slughorn's acquaintances, locked eyes with her. And she felt as if she was under a trance… His eyes were such a pretty ruby color…_

_She blinked and snapped back to reality when Snape edged in front of her and blocked Sanguini's path to her. "Enjoying the atmosphere?"_

_Sanguini's gaze lingered a moment longer on Hermione. Finally, he looked at Snape. "What? Yes, It is a…_lively_ atmosphere. A lot of young, fresh blood."_

_Snape quirked an eyebrow._

_"In the wizarding community, I mean. Pardon me," the vampire said while flourishing a bow. Then he melted into the throng of magical beings._

_A second passed, but it felt like forever. Hermione's eyes traveled from Snape's defensive figure in front of her to what she could see of his face. "Professor. Professor!_

_Snape finally heard her. He glared at her out of the corner of his eye. "What?"_

_"You're still there and the vampire's gone."_

_His eyes slightly widened, but he made no other remark. He stepped to the side and sneered. "Best not dapple with fearsome creatures all on your own, Granger."_

_She couldn't help it; she raised a suspicious eyebrow. "And a vampire's going to attack me in a room full of people, professor?"_

_"Two points from Gryffindor," he stated. His mouth spread into a shark's smile. "Happy Christmas, Miss Granger."_

_Again, Snape was the first to run, but Hermione was so used to it that a hint of a grin played at her lips when she left Slughorn's party and headed to the Gryffindor tower. The grin displayed itself fully as she entered the girls' dormitories. _He was cold, but so wamr compared to Sanguini._ She paused and stopped her girlish giggle from escaping. _Well, even not comparing him to the vampire, he was still warm.

Once more, Hermione pushed her hair behind her ear. Merlin, how she despised cold things.

But frostiness is the way to a girl's heart.

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**Good chappie! I just keep churning 'em out, eh? WOOOT!!! Anywho, let's hope for some Sev in 4, okies? OKIES!!!**

**AND REVIEW!!!**

**-mew-tsubaki**


	4. 4th Tale

**From the Past**

A HariPo fanfic

by mew-tsubaki

Note: The 1st of **To the Future**'s companion stories is here! I'm borrowing J.K. Rowling's charries once more and giving them a delighted storyline to star in. So let's start a little before when **To the Future** begins, and with another special pairing. And REVIEW!!!

*P.S. –**Humphrey Blethyn** is an O.C.*

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**The Fourth Tale**

"This isn't finished."

Hermione gaped innocently. "What?"

Her editor, Humphrey Blethyn, sighed and scratched behind his left ear. Hermione briefly shuddered in disgust; he probably had an infection there by now. "This theory doesn't have the life your others have," Humphrey continued. "Maybe you ought to revise the last few chapters."

"But I did all the research! There's no more information to be given!" She frowned. "Is it my writing style?"

Humphrey twisted his mouth into an unsure grimace. "The words are fine and make sense, but…there's no heat in them. Even essays and texts and theories like yours can have emotion in them." He glanced from her draft to her. "Can we hold off for now, while you think about sixteen through twenty?"

"Five chapters?! But this Squib theory-!" He raised his eyebrows. "No, Humphrey. I can put it on hold."

He lightened up. "Good! In the meantime, finish your research for your muggle-born and half-blood theories, and I'll check back in with you about a month from now. Deal?"

Hermione couldn't help but give in and grin back. "Deal."

Humphrey waited and spoke at an odd beat. "How're things with Harry?"

"Why do you ask? Oh, things are fine with him. Nothing's happened with him to affect my writing."

"Has anything _else_ happened recently?"

Her mind briefly flashed to Snape, but she shook her head. "Everything's normal."

Humphrey stood. "All right then. I'll see you, Hermione."

"Yes…" She shook his hand like usual and exited Romula Publications. How could this have happened? She knew that it was possible, but it hadn't happened to her before, and that was what bothered her. Why now of all times?

_And that bumping into Snape happened four days ago,_ Hermione recalled. _Why should it be bugging me in the first place, let alone at all?_ Sighing, she went to a phone booth and Apparated home. Crookshanks greeted her.

"Yes, I'll feed you," she said in answer to his meows. Hermione placed her purse and case on the table near the front door and followed him into the kitchen, where she retrieved a can of cat food and used her wand to open it. She placed the plate of beef and liver in gravy down in front of Crookshanks. He sniffed it and stuck his nose up at it. Hermione whined. "Oh, come on. I know it's not your favorite, but it's what we have right now."

Crookshanks stared at her and left the kitchen.

She stepped behind him. "Just eat it, Crooks!"

He stared at her again. However, this time the cat ducked through his cat flap in the back door. Hermione had a bad feeling as she opened the back door and entered the backyard. Crookshanks paid her no mind, though, preferring instead to sniff the air. And then he was off.

_AGH! Not again!_ the genius thought as she hurtled over a lop-sided trashcan to keep up with the feline. But it was easier to follow Crookshanks this time, she found, because her feet sort of knew the way. She had most definitely been this way before. _Four days ago._

And she was right. Crookshanks led her down Spinner's End, all the way to Snape's house, and sauntered right into the professor's backyard. Hermione grimaced. _Should I really be trespassing? __Again__? _She watched as Crooks fooled around with Snape's hybrid Devil's Snare. _OK, screw it!_ "Crookshanks!" she quietly called. "Crooksy!"

Crookshanks slowly blinked and gave her his special Cheshire Cat grin. Then he dove under the Devil's Snare.

"_Crookshanks_!" Hermione rushed after him and hastily backed up, remembering Snape's warning just in time. And yet, she could only retreat to a certain point. The plant had some of her hair in its deathly grasp.

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_Oh, _crap_! What do I do?!_

She knew at least to not tug on her hair, but the answer that had helped her in first year was hard to do at the moment. There was no way she could relax! Crooks was obviously okay, but Hermione's nerves were shot. Snape might find her on his property!

_Okay, I've got to breathe and at least _try _to relax,_ she told herself. But saying was easier than doing, and with every second that passed, she only became more and more afraid of being caught. The Devil's Snare sensed her fear, and stretched some branches out to grab more of her hair. _SHIT!_ And then there was a light touch at the small of her back. "ACK!!"

A snort escaped Snape. "Gracing me with your unwanted presence again, Granger?"

She glared, even though he was behind her. "Yes, yes! Wotcher, sorry I'm here, and all that! HELP ME!!!"

Snape snickered whiled he untangled her hair and didn't seem to notice that his hand stayed on the small of her back. When she fixed her hair and calmed down, she understood why. No sooner had she escaped, he spun her around and pinned her against the plant. His hands were beside either of her shoulders and their noses were a fraction away. "Give me one good reason why I shouldn't call you in as a thief."

"I wasn't here to steal anything," she breathed, but it was barely audible, as her voice fled from her. He was so, so close…

Snape closed his eyes and exhaled, and then moved off her. He pinched the bridge of his nose, seemingly restraining himself. "Go."

Hermione frowned. "I…" She remembered why she had come here. "I can't leave without Crookshanks." She forced a nervous laugh. "He just can't stay away from your house, I guess. You aren't growing catnip by any chance, are you?" All he did was look at her coolly through the corner of his eye. Her frustration wore thin. "Look, Snape, why can't you talk to me like a normal person? Why can't you be courteous or at least civil to anyone?" The Devil's Snare was coiling in her hair again and seized her arms and torso, but she didn't care. She stared him straight in the eye, waiting for an answer.

His eyes widened when he realized she wasn't going to move without a response. Finally, he wheeled around and pried the green tendrils off her, completely forgetting about magic. Snape clutched her waist and pulled her forward and away from the Devil's Snare. He didn't even wait for her to catch her breath. "Are you _daft_, girl?! Only twits allow themselves to be in danger like that!! What if I hadn't saved your skin?!"

"You did, though."

"But how could you have trusted that I would?!"

Hermione thought. "I won't say I _trusted_ you, but I had a feeling everything would be fine."

Snape narrowed his eyes, acknowledging his loss of cool around her. "What if everything hadn't been 'fine'?" He sighed and shook his head. "You Gryffindors are so foolhardy…" The teacher stood, but didn't offer her a hand up. "Come inside. I forgot my wand and you scratched your arms. I'll not have you running stir-crazy from my house while injured."

The genius watched him disappear into his home. A second later, Crookshanks meowed at Hermione, and gave her a wink. She smiled back. "I don't know whether I should kiss you or eat you."

Crooks gazed coyly at her. "Mrow?"

"Yeah, yeah." Hermione hoisted herself up and jogged to the back door, which she opened and shut tight behind her.

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"In here," came Snape's call from another room.

Hermione followed his voice and the rustling sounds he made. She entered a dark and dreary room that was similar to the other designs of the previous rooms. As she approached, Snape revealed his wand and pointed it at her. His eyes roved over her disheveled figure.

"Roll up your sleeves," he ordered. "I'll mend you, and then your shirt."

She numbly nodded and held her arms out, one of which he grabbed and straightened while healing.

A moment passed before he glanced at her and returned his focus to her wounds. "You aren't hungry again, are you?"

Hermione snapped out of her trance. "Oh! Oh, no, no thank you. I… I don't quite have an appetite right now."

Snape studied her. "Something happened." He peered at her more closely. "Not with Potter."

She crimsoned and turned away. Guessing games were never fun when she was the subject of things.

When she didn't respond, Snape didn't press her any further. Within a few minutes, he fixed her wounds and her shirt was repaired. He observed her some more, but eventually gave up. "You may go-"

"It's my writing!" she abruptly blurted, interrupting him in the process. He waited for her to continue, and she did. "My style's just –just lifeless! It lacks excitement, vigor, vividness, heat-"

"Passion?" he suggested.

"Y-Yes." Maybe her mind was playing tricks on her, but there seemed to exist a minimal gap between her and Snape, which continued to get smaller and smaller and…small…er…

"Funny," he breathed. "You've never lacked passion before, even when giving one of your longwinded explanations." Snape's hooked nose almost met hers –but! he pulled away. "Why is it absent now?"

Hermione bit her bottom lip. _"Passion" isn't absent in the room, though,_ she felt like stating. "I don't know," she finally replied.

He raised his eyebrows. "_You_ don't know something?"

She flared her nostrils. "All I know is that I've been reminiscing too much lately," she spat.

Now he pried. "About what?"

"Nothing! They're –they're just silly, that's what it is. I shouldn't be bothered by these memories."

"And yet you are."

_Shyeah. Which "bothered" do you mean?_ She grimaced. _And which do _I_ mean?_ Hermione dispersed such thoughts and rolled her sleeves down, pausing when her fingers touched the warm, gold bracelet Ron had given her nearly two years ago for her birthday. She had yet to remove it.

Snape witnessed this action and slapped a scowl on his face. Unbeknownst to her, he remembered clearly how she gushed when the Weasley boy gave her the present. _Stupid mudblood-blood traitor pairings…_ "Leave."

His word was sudden, but Hermione was prepared for it this time. "Thank you. I… I'm sorry for causing so much trouble, Snape."

He turned away. He didn't want to watch her leave; he had been remembering instances of his own…but that didn't matter. However- "It is 'Severus'," he corrected. He wondered what her expression was.

"Then it is 'Hermione'," came her graceful undertones.

On a whim, Severus peeked over his shoulder –but she had already exited the room. He shook his head. What had he done? Maybe it irked him that Potter was 'Harry' and that even the dead Weasley boy was still 'Ron', and yet he was loathsome 'Snape'.

…

Maybe.

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Before closing the back door behind her, Hermione paused and removed her bracelet, placing it right inside the door.

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**HMMM… I wonder what 'Mione's up to, don't you? REVIEW if you want to guess –or comment, praise, adore… I'm really starting to get into this story, even though this chapter actually had a rough transition from brain candy to imagination fodder. Mmm, imagining –makes you wonder what Sevvy was remembering, too.**

**REVIEW & READ TO FIND OUT!!!**

**-mew-tsubaki**


	5. 5th Tale

**From the Past**

A HariPo fanfic

by mew-tsubaki

Note: The 1st of **To the Future**'s companion stories is here! I'm borrowing J.K. Rowling's charries once more and giving them a delighted storyline to star in. So let's start a little before when **To the Future** begins, and with another special pairing. And REVIEW!!!

*P.S. –**Humphrey Blethyn** is an O.C.*

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**The Fifth Tale**

Early the next morning, Hermione rolled out from under Harry's protective arm and nudged Crookshanks off her feet. She dressed in silence and the subtle morning darkness, and tiptoed downstairs. Skipping her usual cup of coffee, the witch ate a bowl of cereal, brushed her teeth, and freshened her mouth thoroughly afterwards. After all, if you're going to have a long chat with someone, you can't force them to stare at the spinach between your teeth or smell the horrific odor emanating from your gob, can you?

Once primped and ready, Hermione grabbed her purse and work case, and remembered to grab her wand this time. Maybe she _would_ work on her theory after retrieving her 'forgotten' bracelet. Her cheeks burned as red as a Weasley's head of hair; she still couldn't believe she had purposely left her jewelry there just to have an excuse to return.

_Although,_ she pondered, _we're now on a first-name basis, so maybe I _don't_ need an excuse to see him?_ She paused. _Merlin –listen to me! This is a full-blown crush!_

The genius chided herself as she left the house, and she kept on chiding all the way to Spinner's End. Then she was on his road.

_Okay. Be cordial, but not saccharine sweet. Try to chat, but don't hesitate to leave if things turn as lifeless as my writing. Most of all, be Hermione._ She inhaled deeply as she knocked on Severus' door, and exhaled when he answered it. _Regular, old, nice smile!_

"Good morning, Severus," she greeted.

He peeked at her through the small crack in the door. "…Good morning."

_Okaaay…_ "I, uh, appeared to have lost my bracelet. I think I might have dropped it when I was inside. Have you found it? It's gold, with a Celtic knot design on it."

"No."

Hermione grasped for any ideas. "Oh… Well, do you mind if I look for it myself? I'll only be a moment."

Severus continued staring at her, but a second later, he opened the door and Hermione slipped inside. It took a moment for her eyes to adjust to the dim lighting. With all the darkness swallowing up the interior, one might conclude Snape was a vampire.

She set her bags on the floor near the door, covering her bracelet. "Um, I only ever entered this room and the sitting room, so I'll go after I've searched both."

"Suit yourself."

Hermione felt like strangling him. Hadn't she suggested he be courteous?! She curtly nodded and set about pantomiming the actions of a treasure hunter. He went into the hall and disappeared around the left corner. Soon she knew why, as delicious aromas filled the entire establishment. In fact, the witch couldn't help it when she drifted towards the kitchen.

"Can I help you?"

She stopped licking her lips. "It smells wonderful in here."

"Are you telling me you're hungry again?"

"Are you going to ask me that every time I'm over here?"

"Are you telling me you're going to be more of a thorn in my side than you used to be?"

She glowered at him. "Apparently, being a thorn in your side doesn't take much work!" Hermione blinked. "Whoa. Déjà vu…" The witch looked up at the wizard, who appeared shell-shocked. "Um… Severus…?" But the memory he was recalling came flooding into her mind, as well.

_Tears were dotting her cheeks, but today was a happy occasion. Hermione had just graduated at the tope of her class. Her parents hugged her, and Ron, Harry, and Ginny and the Weasley family were there to congratulate her, too. And yet, she felt sad. Not that anyone realize it, though._

_One by one, the teachers approached her and bid her good tidings and farewell: Dumbledore, McGonagall, Binns, Flitwick, Hagrid, Lupin (who taught the trio Defense Against the Dark Arts in their third and seventh years), Trelawney, and some other teachers she didn't even remember. Even Slughorn, though he had only taught Potions during the trio's sixth year, was there to congratulate her. But the other Potions professor was missing._

_Suddenly, Hermione turned to her parents. "I just realized that I forgot to pack a book."_

_Her mother laughed. "Dear, we'll get you a new copy. Everything else is packed, so let's go."_

_"It's a first edition," she lied. "It's not published anymore."_

_Her mother sighed and glanced at Hermione's dad. "Well, I guess, since it means so much to you. Hurry along, then, darling."_

_Hermione nodded and scaled the hill up to the castle. The castle was empty today; even the ghosts were flitting in the daylight where the ceremony was. The witch's footsteps echoed in the barren corridors. _Amazing… It's so quiet._ She smiled as she traipsed up the stairs and explored Hogwarts one last time. _Today was just…

…not perfect.

_She gripped the railing as a staircase changed direction. Instead of entering the Gryffindor Common Room, though, she waited while the stairs changed again, and she descended onto the castle's main level. Her feet carried her past the Great Hall, and she wandered the corridors of the other levels. And then she was passing Snape's office._

I won't go in,_ Hermione told herself. _I'm rid of him. Why should I say goodbye to someone who despised me and tried to stump me whenever I made a statement?_ She turned on her heel, closing her eyes to calm herself. _I'll just go back to Mum and Dad and say I forgot I packed the imaginary book.

_She walked straight into Snape._

_"Bugger!" she cursed. The genius lowered her head so she didn't have to meet his eyes._

_However, his usual cool tone lifted her chin up as if he had used his hand. "Think being valedictorian grants you full access to the castle, do you?"_

_She huffed. "You're not my teacher anymore, Snape. You can't take points away or hand me a detention like you used to."_

_Snape looked her up and down while she turned uncomfortably warm under his scrutinizing gaze. "No, I suppose not. Someone else will now be a thorn in my side."_

_"Apparently, being a thorn in your side doesn't take much work!" She partially regretted her words when his eyes gleamed in the sunset's light._

_A moment passed, frozen in time. Neither of them spoke nor moved, save for their rising and falling chests. With the speed of a striking serpent, Snape suddenly swiped Hermione's pointed graduate cap and tossed it on the ground. Everything froze again._

_The same thought crossed their minds: _What should happen next?_ Insanity made Snape's decision for him before Hermione's mind even caught up with her. He grabbed her jaw and forced her attention upward. Time wouldn't stop this from happening, but the wizard defied Lady Fate and hovered his mouth a nanometer above the genius'. They exchanged breaths, but nothing more._

_Time froze them in those stances. And then Hermione turned spiteful. She swatted his arm away and slapped Snape. He didn't bother to turn his head back; he knew she was fighting the tears. She would always be stubborn._

_"You-" Hermione's voice cracked. She couldn't finish her sentence. All she _could_ do was glare at him with blurry eyes. So she wheeled around and fled. Away from Snape, away from what could have been –what almost _had_ been –away from a past rifled with excitement, adventure, love, anguish, and torment._

_Hermione paused and dried her eyes, concealing any hint of an upset. Then she happily returned to her friends, family, and Ron._

Time had momentarily frozen the present, too. Severus' eyes were locked with Hermione's. That memory –that vivid _imprint_ on their minds –had been so well-buried in their subconscious. And just a few encounters had dredged them all up.

Hermione was the first to break the eye contact. "Um, actually, I'm just a tad hungry." She looked around the kitchen, looking at anything but him. "May I have an apple?"

Severus didn't try to read her expression. He took a step back from the table and gestured to it. "You may," he allowed.

The witch awkwardly plucked a red apple from the fruit basket and wiped it on the hem of her blue blouse. She bit into it, and juice gushed out and dribbled down her chin. She started and quickly swallowed the piece already in her mouth. Hermione faced him. "Do you have a napkin? I don't want to create a mess for you to clean up, so-"

Her breath caught in her throat. Everything was in slow motion as Severus strode towards her and pulled her to him by the waist. He grabbed her jaw as he had once before. The once-bitten apple thudded on the hardwood floor.

Time and Lady Fate overcame the wizard this time. Severus licked the juices from Hermione's chin and didn't leave even a nanometer between their mouths. Their exchanged breaths became one, and the kiss deepened.

What could have been –what almost _had _been –now was.

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**KYAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!**

**MERLIN'S BEARD!!! DID I REALLY JUST WRITE THAT?!!! *breathes in deeply* Okies. WELL! I enjoy writing all these 'memories', so there will probably be a few more before –you don't expect me to give anything **_**away**_** now, do you? Tee hee! … EEEK!!! I'M SORRY! Anywho, I chose an apple since it's the 'forbidden' fruit, but when Sev kissed 'Mione, he wasn't sharing the fruit with her –'Mione **_**is**_** the forbidden fruit in his mind. So REVIEW, peoples!**

**-mew-tsubaki**


	6. 6th Tale

**From the Past**

A HariPo fanfic

by mew-tsubaki

Note: The 1st of **To the Future**'s companion stories is here! I'm borrowing J.K. Rowling's charries once more and giving them a delighted storyline to star in. So let's start a little before when **To the Future** begins, and with another special pairing. And REVIEW!!!

*P.S. –**Humphrey Blethyn** is an O.C., as are **Struther Calle **and **Clee Calle**.*

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**The Sixth Tale**

Severus shoved Hermione away from him. But the feral look in his eyes was still there.

Hermione didn't run like she had previously, but there _were_ tears pricking the backs of her eyes. She fought them back. "Why did you stop?!" she cried.

"For the same reason I held myself in check that time, as well!" he yelled.

"And?!"

"There's no 'and'! I merely wasn't thinking!"

He turned away, but she stopped him. "If you weren't thinking, then you wouldn't have kissed me this time. You would've done nothing as you had before." Her tone was pleading. "For you to have acted, you must've been thinking about it. Recently."

Severus stared her down. "What is 'it'? Hmm, woman?"

"I thought I was a girl."

His features twitched in annoyance. "I repeat: What is 'it'?"

She shook her head and flung her arms in the air. "I don't _know_! I'm not a Legilimens! I don't know what's going on in that dank and dark mind of yours!!"

_Neither do I,_ Severus told himself. _Even so…_ "Why do _you_ care? Shouldn't you be slapping me for even touching you?"

"I've _had_ it!! Stop playing with my feelings!! What are you?!" she shouted. "Are you just looking for a piece of arse, you crotchety old bat?!!"

"I don't go for 'pieces of arse'," he amended.

"Then just what _are_ you searching for, Severus?" Hermione huffed and panted in an effort to slow her breath, but her anger was giving her a headache. She shook her head and brushed her hair out of her face, releasing an exasperated sigh. The tears were almost free. "You know what? Forget it. I'm leaving."

She left the kitchen, but he followed right behind. "I'm not searching for anything!" he boomed. "Don't walk away when someone else talks!"

She shrugged him off. "Have a nice rest of summer," she spat, and she picked up her bags. Upon seeing her bracelet, she held it up for him to notice before shoving it on her wrist and walking out. The door slammed behind her.

Severus scowled at the threshold. Of course Hermione had been implying love, but what could she expect of him? He was Severus Snape, the loner who never got along with anyone. He admitted, he had loved Lily Evans –even when she became Lily Potter –but he doubted he would ever fall in love again. And this –this _feeling_ about Granger –it was nothing. It was nothing, and never would be anything else.

Returning to the kitchen, Severus spied the apple. Anger overwhelmed him, and he obliterated it with a spell. He'd had enough of muggle-borns to last him a lifetime.

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"Struther and Clee's Tome Insanity –ah, Madam Granger."

Hermione smiled warmly at Struther Calle. "I asked you to stop calling me that, Struther."

The elderly man chuckled. "Yes, yes… How's your research coming along? Nicely, I presume."

"Uh, yeah… Actually, my Squib theory's on hold, so I'll pick up those books I requested for my muggle-born theory. You didn't sell them, right?" she teased.

"No, of course not." He cupped his hands around his mouth. "Clee!" he thundered. "Hermione's here!"

A cacophony of crashes and thuds rattled the upstairs. A moment later, a man two years Hermione's senior tripped over a stack of books. His mess of dirty blonde hair brushed the rims of his rectangular-framed glasses, which slightly magnified the blue-green eyes that matched his father's. Upon seeing Hermione, he frowned. "Didn't we just see your ugly mug last week?"

Struther glared at his son, but Hermione laughed. "At least I don't have print on my cheeks," she provoked.

Clee reddened and covered his cheeks, turning to a mirror for help.

Hermione faced Struther. "The books?"

"Clee was sorting them yesterday, so you'll have to ask him, I'm afraid." The father passed her a biscuit to munch on. "So why'd the fat lard reject your draft?"

"Humphrey's not a fat lard, Struth," Hermione corrected. "He's slightly rotund."

"He's a fat walrus if you ask me." His expression softened. "I thought you had all the kinks ironed out."

"As did I, but the last five chapters he says are as flat as the ironing board. They're-" She recalled yesterday's encounter with Severus. "-without passion," she finished.

"No passion, eh?" Clee called from somewhere within the store. "Just goes to show that you're a granny stuck in a nineteen-year-old's body."

She ignored the comment. "But the Squib piece doesn't matter right now. If I can't focus on it, then I'll just focus on something else." Hermione nodded to Struther and wormed her way through the rows and rows of book shelves, all heavily laden. It was quiet and peaceful in the store.

"There haven't been a lot of customers lately," Clee provided, reading her thoughts. She didn't respond, so he handed her three books and cleared the back table that she always used. Hermione sat down and got to work.

Clee, on the other hand, was thinking. He leaned on the table with arms crossed and faced her. "If you can't focus on one thing, what makes you think you'll be able to focus on something else?" he questioned. He watched as her jaw clenched and she blushed.

"I'll just do my best," she stated, and flipped through another book.

"Sounds to me like you gave up on it."

Hermione glared at him. "Clee, if it was that easy to give up on something, then I would've chosen something different to forget about."

His brows knitted together in concern. "Work _can't_ be that bad for you, Hermione." When she looked away, he leaned down. "What's happened?"

"It's nothing I can't handle myself. In fact, I'll wrap it up tomorrow and come straight here afterwards to keep working."

Clee grimaced and slammed her notes and other things closed. "No. Go home, relax, and don't think about work or any of your other worries. Do something fun."

"Well… I suppose I could go through a few puzzle games on my DS…"

"Isn't that your weird muggle thing your parents bought you?"

"Ooh, it's an electronic device," she teased. "Best not use it in front of the magic man."

"Har, har." He stood and made a stack for her. "These'll be waiting for you when you come in –but not tomorrow." He ushered her towards the front door. "You don't want to know what's in store for you if you're here tomorrow, you work-a-holic."

Hermione rolled her eyes. "Yes, yes. I'll see you two later in the week," she told the Calle father and son.

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When Hermione came home later that evening after some window-shopping, Crookshanks strolled out of the kitchen, licking his lips. Her eyes widened and she sped into the kitchen, but he hadn't gotten into anything; Harry had left some wet food for him.

Breathing a sigh of relief, Hermione strolled back to the living room, collapsing on the couch. Crooks joined her and began purring, which alleviated some of her stress. But her mind drifted to Severus' actions of earlier.

_Why can't he just admit he feels something?_ she pondered. _Or at least _felt_ it. So what if he admits he's wrong? He should just get over it._ Something occurred to her, and she paused petting Crooks' head. Hermione saddened. _He's stubborn, just like me… AGH! I need to stop reading into things. I've already been hurt enough._

She stood and stretched. Crookshanks jumped down and looked at her expectantly, but Hermione shook her head. "No more food for you right now, you fat cat. I'm going to go take a nap; you may join me if you wish."

Crooks grimaced and hopped back on the couch to watch TV.

"Fine." Hermione traipsed upstairs to the flat's second level and entered her bedroom, kicking off her shoes and plopping on the bed. However, relaxation didn't immediately set in. The genius huffed and pulled a pillow to her, and she buried her face in the cushion. Her mind raced with things she wanted to say –to Severus, to Harry, even to Ron. But she couldn't confide in anyone; no one would understand why Severus had her so frustrated. And, of course, she couldn't confide in him, least of all. She had no one to trust.

"Trust, huh?" she mumbled to herself. _How come trust is always the issue..?_ she thought as a memory drew her to dreamland.

_That had been the worst battle Hermione had ever seen, let alone experienced. She was only a sixth year –the day had begun so calmly –Harry had warned her and Ron-_

_She had just left the Hospital Wing. Bill Weasley looked awful. Madam Pomfrey said he would heal, but she agreed with Lupin that Bill would indeed be different. And like Bill, many others had been injured –some killed… All because of that one betrayal._

_Hermione couldn't believe it. Yes, Harry had always had his suspicions, but –but –Dumbledore always trusted Snape. Any time Harry voiced concern, Dumbledore coolly shot him down with the assertion that Snape was trustworthy._

_The genius stumbled at the bottom of the staircase and sat down. She exhaled –and realized that her limbs had been trembling. Hermione kind of chuckled, but she found herself rubbing her fists into her eyes shortly after. It was hard not to cry; after all, enough stress was built up. Why not release it?_

_The sound of footsteps quieted her. A hand warmed her shoulder. Hermione turned and found McGonagall at her side. "We should've listened," the professor stated._

_At first, Hermione gaped, for it sounded like McGonagall had wanted to listen to Dumbledore. But then she saw how glassy the Transfiguration teacher's eyes were. Hermione let the tears flow freely down her own cheeks. "We couldn't have truly known…" But even Hermione didn't listen to her own words, as McGonagall leaned on her shoulder and they both sobbed. In her head, Hermione heard Dumbledore's voice over and over again:_

_"I fully trust Severus Snape."_

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Severus breathed a sigh of relief. Saturday had somehow come and gone without a glimpse of that know-it-all, and Sunday was looking up, too. Not that he wanted it to look up. Too much cheeriness.

But he needed to leave for Hogwarts tomorrow, and he still lacked certain supplies. Though he dreaded it, Severus headed for Diagon Alley.

Okay, so he wasn't much of a people person. However, ever since the Second Great War, Severus hated going out in public even more. The stares, the whispers –he hated all of it. Worst of all, he hated how some people walked straight up to him and began conversations with him. _They-_ Severus thought as he reached his destination near the edge of Knockturn Alley _–are the worst kind of scavengers around._

"Welcome!"

The Potions master looked up. Had there always been a perky female clerk at Blood, Breath, and Beyond? Well, it didn't matter. He ignored the woman and headed straight for cauldron supplies. Severus picked up a new stand and replacement cauldron handles and marched back to the clerk.

She eyed him –not warily, but she did seem intrigued. Finally, she gave him a price. "Eight galleons, five sickles, and three knuts, please."

"That's not all," Severus interrupted. "I ordered a dozen oricalculm vials. Look under 'Snape'."

The clerk nodded and disappeared in the back. She reappeared a minute later with the set in hand and recalculated the total. "Okay, that'll be seventy-one galleons, nine sickles, and two knuts."

He winced as he paid. Yes, the stronger, more durable vials would be worth it, but he wished that they could be as durable for less. Or that Hogwarts would pay for them.

Severus turned to leave, but the clerk's expression halted him. "I knew it," she said. "You really are Severus Tobias Snape, the double-agent for Dumbledore. What was it like fighting in the Second Great War? Which side did you fight for? Did you betray You-Know-Who before or during the fight? Did you get hurt or almost die?" Her eyes turned glassy and her lavender eyes almost seemed neon in the strange lighting. "Are you still an unhappy bachelor teaching Potions at Hogwarts?"

"Do you mind?" He scowled and left the store, ignoring the garbage that clerk was asking about his personal life. _Merlin,_ he thought when he returned to Spinner's End, _why couldn't the school year have started earlier? And why should I have to put up with this load of crap? Suddenly, Granger seems like a lesser problem._

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**OKIES! Six chappies so far, and they're not too shabby either. Honestly. Sev needs to learn how to act around women, dontcha think? First Hermione, then he couldn't even charm the clerk to leave him alone… Oh, Sevvy-poo, what will we do with you? Well, I think I have the answer, so we shall march straight into chappie 7. Hooray!!! Who knows how long it will be, but it will be good. REALLY good. So review and keep reading, folks! Yay, Snemione!**

**-mew-tsubaki**


	7. 7th Tale

**From the Past**

A HariPo fanfic

by mew-tsubaki

Note: The 1st of **To the Future**'s companion stories is here! I'm borrowing J.K. Rowling's charries once more and giving them a delighted storyline to star in. So let's start a little before when **To the Future** begins, and with another special pairing. And REVIEW!!!

*P.S. –**Humphrey Blethyn** is an O.C., as are **Struther Calle **and **Clee Calle**.*

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**The Seventh Tale**

"Mngh…"

Hermione lazily rolled over and bumped into something. Something warm. And soft. Her clothes felt a little stiff –_must've slept in them again,_ she noted –as she placed an arm over the slumbering Harry's side. She breathed in his familiar scent and felt calm. Yes, this was where she belonged.

Her movement disturbed Harry, though. He rubbed his eyes and looked at Hermione over his shoulder. "'Morning," he said, and he kissed the top of her head.

The genius felt a pleasant warmth dust her cheeks with rosy color. "'Morning," she mumbled back. "How late is it?"

Harry squinted at his watch. "It's almost seven in the morning."

She propped herself up on one elbow. "And you're still here? What about the bounty-hunting?"

"Eh, I can just say I was following up on a possible lead. Besides, it's not every night that I sleep so well." He sat up himself and stretched, and Hermione had a hard time not letting her eyes rove over his lean, slightly muscular build. Harry distracted her, though, when he spoke again. "Remember getting up for classes? Hard to believe that was only a few years ago… It was about this time that the school year began, too."

Hermione's eyes widened. "Wait. You're right. It begins tomorrow!" Her heart jumped into her throat while she jumped off the bed and searched for a clean shirt and her shoes. _Crap!_ she thought. _I was focusing on my work so much that I forgot I was going to tie up the loose end with Severus._ She paused and closed her eyes for a few seconds. _No. He should be 'Snape' once more._ She jolted when Harry came up behind her and hugged her waist. "S-Sorry," she said in reply to his concerned look.

"Hermione, what's wrong? You're suddenly very jumpy," Harry pointed out.

"It's nothing. It's –work-related." In the end, she chose a stretchy polo, and she kissed Harry's cheek after pulling the shirt over her head. "Have breakfast without me," she yelled as she went downstairs.

Harry, however, stood there and stared after her. _It's something,_ he observed, _but not work-related._ After a few minutes passed, he took her suggestion and then headed off to work.

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She wished someone had knocked sense into her. With all her raging emotions, _why_ had she Apparated?! _Never mind that now, _she angrily told herself. Hermione luckily hadn't splinched , but her hair was a frizzy, bushy mess. She tried her best to comb her fingers through it as she began down Spinner's End.

As she got closer to his house, Hermione slowed her pace, but that didn't slow her heartbeat. She tried taking some deep breaths, but they caught in her throat when she saw Severus step outside. He shut the door behind him and turned around. It was then that he saw her.

Normal disdain graced his features. "May I help you?"

"Ah-" Hermione's mind blanked. Yes, she had come here, but she hadn't thought about what to say. The genius fidgeted. "So you're leaving for Hogwarts?"

"Yes, it is that time of year once again." Severus crossed his arms in front of his chest. "I take it you did not come here to make small talk."

She brushed a piece of hair behind her ear. "Er…no…"

"Last I remember, you had wished me a 'happy rest of summer'. Why are you back?"

"I didn't want to leave things between us on a bad note," Hermione stated.

"What? Are you telling me you'll stop dropping by?" He playfully inquired so with a smirk, but her expression –she gnawed on her bottom lip and averted her gaze –irked him. The fact that it irked him irked him. Severus gritted his teeth and uncomfortably held himself in check. "Leave. You shouldn't come back here again."

"Yes, it might not be my place to just come here without warning, but… I understand you hate me, but…"

"Finish your goddamned sentences," he growled, but he let her continue without correcting her last statement, because while he didn't understand his…_feeling_ toward her, he knew it wasn't hate. He understood hate well, but he didn't hate her.

Hermione's thoughts finally untangled themselves. "I understand you hate me," she repeated, "but I don't hate you."

Severus shook his head and pinched the bridge of his nose in exasperation. He felt like screaming at her, "That's all?", but when she was unsure, she was unsure. Even outside of the classroom, the brainy witch could never feel one-hundred percent right around him. "I don't have time for this foolishness," he spat.

"Ooh, a lover's spat?"

Both Hermione and Severus whipped their heads up at the sound of a third voice. The woman to which the voice belonged was just barely average height –a few inches shorter than Hermione, a head and a few inches shorter than Severus –and wore her bangs at a short, odd length. Her caramel-colored hair fell in rigidly-chopped layers around her shoulders, and her lavender eyes were piercing and came up a bit at the ends. She carried herself with an air of assurance –most likely because she was confident in her voluptuous figure and bronzed skin. Her mouth quirked with a smile.

"Pay me no mind," this stranger said. "Please, continue. Don't let me interrupt the old married couple's quarrel."

"We're not an 'old married couple'!" Severus snapped. "We're not anything!" He couldn't help but catch Hermione's flinch out of the corner of his eye, but he ignored it. "Do you need something?" he continued. The male peered at the newcomer more intently. "Wait. Aren't you from the store?"

The woman gave him a big smile. "Bingo!" She held up a small package. "You forgot the mythril stoppers for your vials yesterday, so I came to deliver them."

Severus looked at her like she was stupid. "You couldn't have sent a missive?"

"Oh, I could've, but who knows if I'd be working when you next came in." A wolfish grin playing on her face, she waltzed right up to Severus and shoved the package at his chest. He took it, but she seductively looked up at him from beneath her eyelashes and traced one plum-painted, well-manicured finger down his chest. "I came to see you, Severus Snape, because you are something I don't have."

"Uh-!" Hermione gaped at the woman and caught Severus' eye, which might have been pleading for help. _So much for tying up loose ends!!_

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**KYAAAA!!! SEVVY-POO MIGHT BE STOLEN!! Oh, wait. Is it really stealing when you don't hold that person's heart to begin with…? Well, then, Hermione better hurry it up! By the way: Though I really love Ginrius the most and I adore Rena, Snemione is awesome but the hardest to write. Not only is this my first Snemione, but the two charries are so hard to put together and it makes any kind of relationship between them fragile, but I'll do my best! So root for me and review, peoples!**

**- mew-tsubaki**


	8. 8th Tale

**From the Past**

A HariPo fanfic

by mew-tsubaki

Note: The 1st of **To the Future**'s companion stories is here! I'm borrowing J.K. Rowling's charries once more and giving them a delighted storyline to star in. So let's start a little before when **To the Future** begins, and with another special pairing. And REVIEW!!!

*P.S. –**Humphrey Blethyn** is an O.C., as are **Struther Calle,** **Clee Calle, Amasso Ronan, Tamsin Ronan,** and **Femia Gibbs**.*

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**The Eighth Tale**

"Hmm. Where are my manners? I bet you didn't even glance at my nametag yesterday," the woman said. "I'm Tamsin Ronan, daughter of Amasso Ronan, the proprietor of Blood, Breath, and Beyond."

Hermione tore her eyes from Severus' and shut her gaping mouth. "Pardon me, but I must be on my way-"

"Hold it!"

The genius blinked several times in rapid succession, a little flabbergasted as Severus broke away from Tamsin and stalked towards her. Hermione couldn't meet his eyes; her cheeks were aflame! "Shouldn't you be on your way?"

Severus took her slightly roughly by the arm. "We weren't done talking."

Hermione felt her anger begin to boil. "_I_ recall ending the conversation."

"You may have finished, but I wasn't done. Therefore, we. Weren't. Done." His obsidian eyes had a sort of scary glow about them, but Hermione indignantly nodded. Severus looked over his shoulder. "Thank you for your services, Miss Ronan. You may leave now."

Tamsin's eyes flicked between the two, but the smile remained on her face. Though she wore a cargo jacket and slacks, she did a little curtsy. "Of course, Mr. Snape. We –_I_ hope to see you again soon." She straightened and backed off, but Hermione noticed a small twinkle in her eye. Tamsin would be back; she would not give up that easily.

The bat and the genius watched until Tamsin Apparated at the tail of Spinner's End. It was a minute or so, however, before the two realized that they still stood so close to one another. Hermione noticed first.

"You're hurting me," she stated.

Severus' grip loosed, but he didn't remove his hand. He pushed her towards the house. "In. Now."

Though disgruntled, she conceded and entered his home. Once inside, he moved ahead and led her to a barren room that had just enough furnishings to be called a sitting room. He closed the door behind her, and Hermione shied away from him. _I can feel the anger radiating off him, _she observed. _He's really mad._

Surprisingly, he did not bite her head off. Instead, he sat down in one of the four chairs, leaned his elbows on his knees, and rested his chin on his clasped hands. He closed his eyes and deeply inhaled. Hermione peered at him, wondering when he'd exhale, when he sighed. A true, genuine sigh. Not a Merlin-you're-so-dim-witted sigh. A true I'm-tired-of-all-the-running-around-and-misunderstandings sigh.

"Umm… Severus?" She knelt down in front of him and looked at his face, wishing he'd open his eyes. "Sev…?"

"I hear you," he answered, though he wouldn't look at her.

Hermione frowned. "If you have something else to say, then say it," she urged in a soft voice. "I'm listening."

Severus opened his eyes then, but looking into her eyes… "Never mind. It's nothing."

She heaved an exasperated sigh. "_You_ brought me inside. Obviously, it's something."

"It's nothing!!" he yelled and he turned his angry face away from her.

Hermione grimaced. She lifted her hands to his cheeks, hesitated, and finally turned his head back to her. "If it helps," she said, "you can imagine I'm not me. Picture someone else."

Severus quirked an eyebrow. "Isn't that pointless if I've something to say to _you_ and just you?"

Her cheeks burned. "Well, yes… But-!!" She gasped as his hands rested on hers. However, he didn't remove her hands from his cheeks, and he was staring fairly intently into her eyes.

"You were wrong about me," the Potions master said in a very low voice. "I do not hate you, Hermione."

Hermione said nothing. She wanted to ask him how else he felt, but she knew that would be going too far. The best she could manage as an answer was a tight-lipped smile.

He gave a curt nod and stood. Severus had almost exited the room when he stopped. "At least once every weekend, I'll need to stop by Diagon Alley to restock my most-used supplies."

She stood and faced his back. "Wouldn't it be easier to have them delivered to the school?" she inquired.

"Yes, it would." He turned his head enough so she could see his smirk and an eye. "I don't accept anymore fake grins, though, Miss Granger."

Hermione blushed and covered her gaping mouth. Had he really read her facial emotions?! She closed her mouth and gave him a half smirk/ half smile. "Of course not, Mr. Snape." She came up behind him and poked his back. "Diagon Alley, you say? Funny, I go there for research all the time…"

"Yes, well." Severus grew chillier as usual, but he couldn't be quite as cold as he used to be. Hermione noticed that a piece of warmth had wormed its way in.

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"Ah. Professor Snape." Dumbledore pushed his half-moon spectacles up his nose. "I take it everything is well?"

Severus nodded. "Yes, headmaster. Please excuse my tardiness. I had urgent business to attend to.

The elderly wizard smiled. "Of course. Fret not, Severus. You have not missed our pre-term staff feast. Please join the others at the staff table. I shall be heading in momentarily."

Severus approached his seat next to Filius Flitwick. The goblin seemed excited to see Severus, but the Potions teacher didn't pay attention to the Charms professor. He sat down and paused to see the other faces: Minerva chatted with Sybil, Longbottom sat in-between –Merlin! It couldn't be! Sirius Black was on Longbottom's left and that was definitely a Weasley on his right. Severus thought for a moment. The oldest and youngest Weasley boys were dead –Second Great War casualties, like that other Weasley –Percy? –who had gone from Head Boy to Ministry of Magic dog. _Ah,_ Severus realized, _this one must be Charles._ He observed Black a moment longer and then scanned the other end of the staff table. _Wonderful, _Severus grumbled. _Another bloody Marauder,_ he thought at the sight of Remus Lupin. _Apparently his lupine personality couldn't keep Dumbledore from hiring him._

The bat sighed. This was going to be a long year.

"Ah, Professor Snape," said a witch on the other side of Severus. "Good to see you back. You had a nice break, I suppose?"

"Professor Gibbs, of course," Severus answered. He began eating as Femia Gibbs pulled her chair in. As usual, she wore her traditional colonial Wiccan garb: A white blouse under a black jumper, a white bonnet, black buckle shoes with moonstone gems, and a simple brown shawl, fastened at her left shoulder with a rose quartz brooch. Her muddy gray hair was smoothly tucked into her bonnet, and her copper eyes crinkled when she smile at him. He rest his fork hand. "What?"

"Oh, I was just wondering why you seem so pleasant, dear. Did something good happen?"

Severus frowned. "… No."

The Ancient Runes teacher's face fell. "Oh. Well." But she was saved from trying to make anymore small talk when Dumbledore rose and began his speech to the teachers. He introduced Charlie Weasley as the new Care for Magical Creatures instructor, and welcomed Lupin and Black as the Defense Against the Dark Arts teachers. At that, Severus gritted his teeth and didn't listen to the headmaster prate about the students' arrival tomorrow.

Always –ALWAYS –he had been denied the D.A.D.A. position. Now, not only were Lupin and Black back, but his lifelong enemies had split his ideal job between them. Merlin. Come back to the good side after faking killing the world's greatest wizard and have salt poured in your wounds. Joyous.

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**Short and sweet, but the next few will be jam-packed with episodes, so please continue reading –AND REVIEWING!!!!**

**-mew-tsubaki**


	9. 9th Tale

**From the Past**

A HariPo fanfic

by mew-tsubaki

Note: The 1st of **To the Future**'s companion stories is here! I'm borrowing J.K. Rowling's charries once more and giving them a delighted storyline to star in. So let's start a little before when **To the Future** begins, and with another special pairing. And REVIEW!!!

*P.S. –**Humphrey Blethyn** is an O.C., as are **Struther Calle,** **Clee Calle, Amasso Ronan, Tamsin Ronan,** and **Femia Gibbs**.*

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**The Ninth Tale**

"You're awfully chipper today," Clee told Hermione that Friday. "Anything particularly good going to happen?"

"Maybe," Hermione teased. "Maybe not." She packed up her books and called it a night. "I won't be seeing you two tomorrow," she told Clee and Struther as she headed up front.

"Well, I hope you two have a good time," Struther said.

"'Two'?" Hermione squeaked.

"You and Harry, of course. It's been a while since he's been around."

Though she breathed a sigh of relief at what Struther had really meant, she couldn't help but think that, yes, Harry _was_ doing his best to be around. Once the Aurors caught all the Dark Wizards, Harry would be back to case work and filing, which earned him little sleep.

"Well," she finally said, "I'll see you." Hermione left the bookstore and Apparated home. Surprisingly, Harry greeted her on the step. As soon as she has popped, he whisked her up and planted a deep kiss on her mouth. She was obviously caught off guard, and Harry laughed.

"Surprise!!" he joked.

Hermione nodded and closed her gaping mouth, for her words had escaped her. Harry took her hand and led her into the kitchen, where she was again at a loss for words. The dining table had been lavished in an orange cream cloth and dusk red candles. Two places were set, and some utensils had been bewitched and were now dishing up the delicious-smelling chicken and noodles casserole while two biscuits each went to the plates. Finally, the genius found her voice. "Harry! This is amazing!!"

"Well, I'm off tonight, so I figured we could eat together like normal people do." Harry rubbed her arm as she leaned into him. "I caught a mistake in the records we just finished filing, so they gave me a bonus and the rest of today off, so –tonight –I'm yours."

He walked her to her seat and even pulled her chair out for her, and Hermione just about melted. When he moved to go to his seat, she touched his arm. "Why did they make such a fuss? What did you find?"

Harry wanly smiled, and sat down before he answered. "Someone had incorrectly written the charges down on Yaxley's nephew's files. If those mistakes hadn't been caught, he would've been out in no time, taking more revenge for his uncle's murder –well, death."

"Oh." Hermione gazed at her plate for a moment. Yaxley, the Dark Wizard who had killed Fleur and Bill Weasley, had also died in the war. The genius was glad to know that his family was behind bars and thus prevented from killing others in retaliation.

"As for Yaxley's niece, we have our suspicions," Harry continued. "But we can't move until something solid shows itself." They were both silent for a minute. "But that's that, and we're both here, so let's enjoy ourselves," he added cheerily.

"Yes…" Hermione easily found herself caught in Harry's good mood, and the dinner was so light and romantic. As things wound down, Crookshanks meowed to be fed. The witch stood and scratched the cat's ears. "I'll feed him."

"Then I'll clean up," Harry offered. He rose and gathered the plates and took them into the kitchen as Hermione poofed some chicken and gravy into Crooks' food bowl. Hermione gave her cat some fresh water, too, and then brought the left over food into the kitchen. Harry scraped the rest of the meal into a plastic container, stuck it in the fridge, and then returned to the dishes. After a minute, he said, "Y'know… We haven't had dessert."

She blinked. "I hadn't really thought about it," she remarked. Before she even faced him, Harry caught her in an embrace and tenderly kissed her temple. She chuckled. "Your breath is so light, it tickles." In response, he kissed her temple again.

Then began a trickle of kisses along her jaw line. The kisses dripped down her neck and covered her collar bone, and then they moved back up her neck but on the opposite side. However, Harry didn't kiss her other temple. Instead, he moved to Hermione's mouth and gave her a deep kiss. She stumbled slightly backwards, but then the two were moving out of the kitchen towards the bottom of the staircase. In one swift motion –without even breaking their lip lock –Harry picked her up and carried her to their bedroom. He opened the door and Hermione stopped kissing him long enough to gasp.

"Harry!" She looked all around her as he placed her on the comforter. There were many small candles lighting the room, and a bowl of strawberries and chocolate rested on the bed stand. A smile graced her lips. "Now I understand why you mentioned dessert."

He shrugged. "Well, what can a guy do?" He brought her hand up to his chest underneath his tight T-shirt and loved the way her fingertips felt on his skin.

"You forgot one thing, though."

Harry raised an eyebrow. "What?"

"The dessert's going to go to waste." With a devilish glint in her eye, she hooked a finger in his jeans and yanked him down towards her.

It's safe to say the door was immediately Charmed to discourage feline intrusion. :)

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The next morning, Hermione awoke alone. On Harry's pillow was a quickly scrawled note saying he had a lead and would be home late tonight. She shrugged it off. Last night had been special, so she knew to not get used to it. Besides, she had plans.

She blinked and sat up. Plans. _Plans_. PLANS. Crap! How could she have forgotten?! Her mind raced as she jumped in the shower. Yesterday, she had been so happy that she might be able to turn Severus around. Then her thoughts had become muddled as soon as Harry's soft lips had met hers, and thinking back on those fervent kisses and the feel of his fingertips barely grazing her arms and back… She had to pause to release the breath caught in her throat. _Must focus,_ she ordered herself.

Luckily, focus stayed with her for the next twenty minutes, and she was ready to leave after eating with Crookshanks. As she shut the door behind her, she glanced at her watch, which read twelve forty-two. _Ooh. Time._ She Apparated to London and headed straight for Struther and Clee's, off the main part of Diagon Alley. All the while, she searched the faces for that hooked nose and lump of long greasy hair. _I can't believe we didn't set up a time. Well, one o'clock should be good enough. Not too early, not too late, so it's just about right. But should I wait outside, or should I- _"OW!!" She rubbed her nose. "S-Sorry, sir, I wasn't paying attention to where I was going-"

"Doesn't that usually include a distracting book for you?"

"Severus!"

A wind blew some hair in his face. "The one and only." He reached up and brushed the strands out of his face, then stuck his hand back in the pocket of his long, trench-coat-like jacket. A smirk upturned the corners of his mouth. "Fancy bumping into you here, Miss Granger."

She raised an eyebrow. "Fancy seeing you in daylight, Mr. Snape."

His smirk flatlined. "Don't push it."

Hermione smiled. "Wouldn't dream of it." She looked around them, at the people milling about. There were the usual shops and stands, but she couldn't think of where to go.

"Shall we walk?"

Her heart beat so fiercely, she thought he could hear it as she barely managed to keep up with his long stride. Maybe she _was_ too easy to read, if he could make a decision like that for her. She shivered against the blustery wind that did nothing to cool the rising heat of her cheeks. "So how did the first week go?"

"Passed by annoyingly slowly. The Weasley girl was forced back to the school for her last year, and the insufferable female is in my class."

She laughed. "What? Is she a troublemaker?"

"No," he said, his heavily lidded eyes dark. "She answers all my questions correctly and has yet to make a mistake."

"Oh." Hermione watched her feet. "I see."

"But I did hand out two detentions to two third-year Gryffindors," he stated with his familiar smirk.

She mockingly glared at him. "Snake."

"Fool."

"Lily-livered weasel."

"Dung-for-brains."

"Hippogriff ass-face."

"Virginal agony aunt."

She paused, and an impish idea crept to the front of her mind. Name-calling was _sooo_ childish… "Wouldn't _you_ like to know?" The effect was quick and obvious, as Hermione continued walking alone. After a few feet, she stopped and turned around. "Why, Severus! Whatever is the matter? Your face is as maroon as Gryffindor's banner!"

The Potions master glowered at her and sped past. "I'll get you for that."

Hermione followed right on his heels, chuckling, and entered Blood, Breath, and Beyond after him. Of course, she remembered a second later just who worked there. "Oh, crap. Is What's-her-name here?"

Severus looked around the corner of a shelf. He squinted his eyes. "No…just some old crone with a pair of truly garish fuchsia spectacles."

"'Garish'? Can't remember when I last heard that one," she said, turning to him, "_brainiac._" The grimace he gave her was so expected, she almost burst out laughing. "Oh, lighten up!!"

In response, he silently reached for a book over her head, but he stood so close behind her that she felt as if that outstretched arm was going to come down and wrap around her. Of course, that didn't happen, but he moved very slowly; it was as if he were tormenting her. When he brought the book down beside her head, he blew the dust off the cover ever so gently, and some of his breath brushed her ear. Immediately, her face burned red. "So it appears I'm right," he mumbled.

She turned her head, taking care not to touch him. "Right about what?" she asked.

Severus didn't answer her. Instead, he went to the register and paid for the tome. Hermione waited to rejoin him until he left, and even then she trailed a bit behind him. After all, he was being quiet again. He'd probably filled his conversation quota for the week.

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As usual, Harry wasn't there when Hermione got home later that morning. The genius breathed a sigh of relief. The playful banter she had enjoyed with Severus had seemed too good to be true –and she couldn't help but feel as though she was right. She grumbled to herself as she sat down on the couch. With him being a mute after the store visit, it almost seemed liked a dream, him being in the least bit pleasant!

Hermione released another sigh. Suddenly these weekly rendezvous didn't sound so nice.

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**The first date! ERR –I mean…'meeting'! Heh. Oh, well, they go together nicely. And I decided: It's actually hardest to write RemusXLuna, since I'm having trouble with that story right now. Oi… Anywho, chappie 10 will be awesome, and 11 will be **_**fantastic**_**, so keep reading, peoples!**

**AND REVIEW!!!!!!!!!!**

**-mew-tsubaki**


	10. 10th Tale

**From the Past**

A HariPo fanfic

by mew-tsubaki

Note: The 1st of **To the Future**'s companion stories is here! I'm borrowing J.K. Rowling's charries once more and giving them a delighted storyline to star in. So let's start a little before when **To the Future** begins, and with another special pairing. And REVIEW!!!

*P.S. –**Humphrey Blethyn** is an O.C., as are **Struther Calle,** **Clee Calle, Amasso Ronan, Tamsin Ronan,** and **Femia Gibbs**.*

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**The Tenth Tale**

The second trip to Diagon Alley was almost exactly like the first. Some sarcasm along the way, ending in his silence all the while back. She found it rather annoying, but Severus didn't know what else to do, for something else was clouding his mind.

He was almost sure of it. Her reaction to him, the suggestive jabs at one another, and even that kiss… It all added up to one thing.

But Severus frowned at the thought. He knew what one-sided feelings did to you. They'd grab a hold of your mind and squeeze your heart until you wished that they'd just –just turn into birds and fly away from you, maybe soar the skies of your mind for a little while before they were nothing but fleeting hopes that would eventually dissipate over the horizon.

His mind wandered to the kiss for a brief moment. He had felt her passion then, but… No! None of that passion had been his! It was all her!

Of course… Severus paused in his homework-grading and looked over his sixth years without really looking at them. He remembered a kiss one time that had most definitely been full of his passion, a kiss with a master potions maker like himself. But he did not want to think of that other muggle-born witch.

No, he did not.

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Hermione wondered if their third get-together would be anything more spectacular, but she knew to not hope for the best. This was Severus. The most she knew to expect from him was a sneer and a glare.

"Hermione?" Clee asked. He cleared some space and plopped down more books. "Something up?"

She blinked and remembered she had rewriting to get done. "No, it's nothing. Can I have that?"

The blonde passed her the top book. After a minute, he removed his glasses and wiped them with his sleeve. "Tuesday's your birthday, you know."

Hermione paused and glanced at her watch. "Tomorrow? Merlin, I can't believe I didn't realize it." She put her pen down and ran her hands through her hair. "God, I'm so out of it."

Clee playfully tugged at her hair. "Would a birthday present help?" he asked with an impish grin.

She sat up straight. "You didn't have to, Clee…"

He shook his head. "Nonsense." Clee produced a small gift wrapped in pastel pink paper. "Ignore the paper," he said with a slight blush, "they didn't have anything nicer."

Hermione unwrapped her present and gasped. It was a white gold hair clip decorated with a gorgeous bird. "It's beautiful," she said, and then she looked closer at it. "Wait… Oh-! How cute! It's a book in the shape of a bird!" She turned to face him. "You guys really shouldn't have. It's too beautiful."

"There's no such thing as 'too beautiful'," he chided, and he tugged on her hair again. "C'mon, I'll put your hair up for you."

She acquiesced, and Struther appeared as Clee ran his fingers through her hair. The father raised his eyebrows. "How goes it, lass?"

"Fine," Hermione answered. "Thank you for the gift, Struther. You two didn't have to."

"'_We_'-" Struther began, but Clee shot him a dirty look. "No, never mind. You're welcome, Hermione." He glanced at her book stack. "Done for the night?"

She nodded. "Yeah. I've got to get home since I'm making dinner." Hermione gathered her things and pushed her chair in. "I guess I might take a break and see you guys Wednesday instead of tomorrow."

"You better," Struther warned, heading upstairs. He waved to her. "Good night, Hermione, and happy birthday. And Clee! Don't forget to lock up!"

Clee tsked. "I _won't_!!" he hollered back. "Old curmudgeon," the wizard muttered under his breath as he led the witch back to the front.

Hermione chuckled. "Just don't kill each other while I'm not here."

"I can't make any promises," Clee replied.

"Yes, yes…" She hugged Clee tightly for a moment. "I thank you again for the gift Clee. You two treat me like family." The genius pulled away and stepped outside, waving. "See you."

Clee seemed a little fazed. "Yeah… Happy Birthday, Einstein." He watched her Apparate away, but he still stood there even after she had gone. "Like family, huh…?"

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_Okaaay… Not much to work with here,_ Hermione thought as she sifted through the food in the cupboards and in the fridge. _But maybe…_ She grabbed a box of macaroni and cheese, and dug around for canned green beans and wax beans. _Well, I can make _something_ out of this._

She put the water on to boil and was opening the cans when she heard Harry arrive. The front door clicked shut, and there was a long pause. Though it was whispered, she also heard a high-pitched "Fuck!" Hermione emptied the green beans into a bowl and wiped her hands on the dish towel.

"Harry?" she called. She stepped towards the hall, but Crookshanks came over and id a figure eight in and around her legs. The witch knelt down and scratched his ears. "Crooksy…" And then her heart stopped.

Crookshanks gazed innocently (well, feigned innocence, really) at her and purred up a storm. He sat down and tilted his head up so Hermione could get a better look at his prize: A ring.

A yellow gold ring.

With little diamond chips around the main gem.

And a solitaire-cut garnet in the middle.

Harry walked in and halfheartedly smiled. "Crookshanks batted at me as I was checking on it, and it fell. The damn cat picked it up and sauntered off; I thought he was going to eat it…" Still, Hermione didn't speak, and Harry squatted down in front of her. "I was going to do this tomorrow night, but…"

The witch finally looked at him, but her mouth slightly hung open. At least she was listening.

Bashful, the wizard took the ring from Crooks and wiped it with his sleeve. "I hope I'm doing this right…," he mumbled as he knelt on one knee. Harry extended the ring to Hermione. "Will you marry me, Hermione?"

Instantaneously, the genius shut her gaping mouth. Her mind raced with a million thoughts, none of which she could focus on. "I- I- I-" Her eyes darted to Crookshanks, to Harry, to the ring, and back to Harry. Before she knew what was happening, Hermione broke into a huge smile. "Yes," she said.

Harry's face lit up like she had never seen before. He slipped the ring on her left ring finger and held gently onto her hand. She thought he was going to say something, but he didn't. He, too, was at a loss for words, so he smiled instead, and kissed her tenderly on the lips.

She kissed him back, despite the odd feeling developing in her stomach. _This doesn't concern Severus,_ she told herself. Hermione paused and let Harry envelop her in his arms, and she hid her frown from him. _So why do I feel at all uneasy?_

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**Short, but SWEET! KYAAA!!! Harry PROPOSED!! What'll Clee think?! What'll **_**Sev**_** think?!! …Does anyone even care about Clee? And Tamsin's been quiet, too… Hmm. Anywho, on to the fantastical chappie 11! AND REVIEW 10, PEOPLES!! (please, 10 reviews?)**

**-mew-tsubaki**

**P.S. –This chappie just added to the fire put up to burn Harry, didn't it? Don't worry, though, my readers who want Harry dead (even before you read this chapter); I'll take care of Harry in due time, so please be patient with me. Thanx!!!**


	11. 11th Tale

**From the Past**

A HariPo fanfic

by mew-tsubaki

Note: The 1st of **To the Future**'s companion stories is here! I'm borrowing J.K. Rowling's charries once more and giving them a delighted storyline to star in. So let's start a little before when **To the Future** begins, and with another special pairing. And REVIEW!!!

*P.S. –**Humphrey Blethyn** is an O.C., as are **Struther Calle,** **Clee Calle, Amasso Ronan, Tamsin Ronan,** and **Femia Gibbs**.*

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**The Eleventh Tale**

The uneasiness did not pass after a good night's rest; it dwelled in the pit of Hermione's stomach for the rest of the week, bothering her so much that she didn't work Wednesday, Thursday, nor Friday. Her birthday had been a quiet event, her parents and Harry taking her out to eat at a new Italian place in London. She enjoyed it, she really did, but…though it was a very miniscule part, a part of her was unsure about her engagement to Harry.

Come Saturday morning, she dillydallied inside Struther and Clee's, not even glancing outside. All the while, she kept her left hand in her pocket. She loved the ring, but Hermione wasn't a lover of flashy things, and she didn't want to show off one item that was just a _teensy_ bit over her threshold. She felt Struther's eyes on her, but –like Clee –he didn't ask her anything.

It was exactly one o'clock when she saw Severus trudging by the storefront. Hermione calmly inhaled and marched toward the door. She waved over her shoulder at the Calles. "See you guys later!!" she called.

"_What_ the-?!!"

The witch paused –and her face drained of all color. She hadn't been paying attention, so when she grabbed the door handle with her right hand, she had used her left to wave to them, thus revealing her enormous rock. "Crap."

Clee rushed over, and Struther came out from behind the register. The son snatched her hand and stared incredulously at the ring. "He _proposed_?!"

She snatched her hand back. "Yes, Clee, he did," she snapped. "We _have_ been together for a while now."

Struther was calmer than his son. "When did Harry ask?"

"Monday."

"And you couldn't have dropped by?" Clee angrily stated.

Hermione tore her eyes from his oddly infuriated ones and looked at Struther instead. "He was actually going to propose on my birthday, but Crookshanks found the ring and changed Harry's plans."

"Well, good for you," Struther congratulated. "As you said, you two _have _been a couple for a long time."

"More than two years." She stared at her ring a second longer before hiding her hand back in her pocket. The witch pointed at the wizards with her right index finger. "But keep it secret! This would make headline news in the magical world if it got out."

"The magical Prince William and Kate Middleton," Clee grumbled.

Hermione frowned at him, but didn't say any more. The witch finally exited the bookstore and turned right. However, by now, she could see hide nor hair of the Potions professor. Grumbling herself, she sped up and reached Blood, Breath, and Beyond. Of course, things just weren't going her way today.

Just as she entered, Tamsin appeared at the register. While yes, the bronzed shrimp wore an apron over her outfit, the top she wore was a tight-fitting sweater with a dangerously low-cut V-neck. Hermione caught Tamsin's lavender eyes, and Tamsin smirked. The genius ignored the jab and perused the shelves and aisles. Okay, by "peruse", I mean "searched for Sev".

She spied him tucked away in a chair in the back. He was reading a book –_The Dark Magicks_ –but he did acknowledge her presence, though he didn't glance up. She remained standing, but she gazed at the pile of tomes next to him. "A bit of light reading?"

"Just looking up a warding spell to use against smart arses."

"I wonder –If I dump water on you, will you melt?"

At that, his eyes drifted upward, and he closed his book. "Remind me again why I'm here."

Hermione rolled her eyes. "If you can't answer that, what makes you think I can?"

"Well met." Severus stood and returned the item to its shelf. "Shall we?"

She blinked in disbelief. "We're not going to mull around here?"

"I figured a change of pace was needed," he shortly stated, staring her down as he used to, "unless you care to offer evidence otherwise…?" He stopped walking a meter or two away from her.

Again, she rolled her eyes. "No, I'm just worried that someone might burst into flames if he lets the sun touch him."

"Someone's in a downright foul mood," he observed, his eyes darting up and down her figure.

The witch glared at him. "Oh, so when _I'm_ having a bad, _I'm_ in a 'foul mood', but it's all right for _you _to always be a Jurassic snark?!"

Severus sighed and frowned. "Move it. We're not standing here so you can make a public fool of yourself."

"Fine, then. I'll just go home!"

"Uh, no." The wizard grabbed her hand and dragged her out of the store. He drew her close to him to keep her teary eyes from public view, and the two of them walked all the way to the end of the road. Severus said nothing as he tugged her outside of Diagon Alley and into the muggle world. He didn't seem to mind the hubbub of cell phones and cars. Finally, he released her hands. "As much as I'll regret this… Tell me what happened."

She shuffled her feet and looked away. "I don't want to."

"Then suit yourself." He began walking away, picturing what would happen next, when his memory from earlier in the week returned. Severus reddened, and tsked. When he had kissed Lily…that one time… She had been upset, too. Sighing and stopping once more, he turned around and walked back to Hermione. "Don't just stand there," he groaned. "At least get out of other people's way."

The witch acquiesced to that and followed him to a nearby coffee shop. They went inside, where it was warmer; however, she did not remove her coat.

It was then that he noticed she wouldn't take her hands out of her pockets. Even noticing, he didn't mention it. Instead, he watched her closely. She didn't sit after he did, but just stood there, looking more nervous and confused than upset. A moment passed before he said it: "Harry again."

Hermione pinked and paled as he had expected. But he didn't expect her to near him and rest her head on his shoulder. Severus's initial feeling wasn't disgust, but the action made him awkward. As he had recalled his memory of Lily Evans –_Lily Potter_, he glumly corrected –he also remembered last week's appointment with the genius and her reaction to him. Tentatively, he rested a hand on her hair.

Her automatic reaction was to bury her face in his neck and hug his waist –two things to which he was very unaccustomed. But he didn't push her away. "I have a feeling I'm not going to be released any time soon," he commented.

She shook her head in agreement.

He waited a brief moment, and then said, "You… You're attracted to me."

The witch didn't move. Even her chest didn't rise with a usual breath. "I'm…very muddled right now."

"What happened?"

Though it pained her, she showed him her engagement ring. "I said yes, but I have a feeling of uncertainty in my heart."

"Oh." Severus pulled away from her then, and she sat down across from him.

She leaned on her elbows. "He was going to propose on my birthday –this past Tuesday –but Crookshanks interfered, so Harry gave it to me Monday night. But I don't know if I want this! I just said yes on a spur of the moment!!"

"You could've just told him to give you time to think," the wizard stated. "Or maybe you really want that."

"But I don't!!"

He smirked. "And there's your answer."

Hermione blinked. "It- It's not that easy, Severus."

He glared at her. "Why not?"

She averted her gaze. "Because… I _have_ been with him for more than two years, and I _do_ love him."

"So that automatically equates to you _having _to say yes?" he growled.

"Well, no, but-"

Severus stood. "There is no 'but', Hermione. Even a child could understand that she always has a choice!!" he hissed. He stalked out of the café with her on his heels.

"You have no right to get angry at me!" she scolded him, back to her own anger.

He stopped short, and she bumped into his back. He faced her. "It's all about choice, you git! I choose to be angry at this nineteen-year-old-"

"Twenty."

"-twenty-year-old woman who thinks she's a slave of circumstance and suppositions!!"

"And what about you?!" she countered. "_You_ have a choice to not be angry with me! _You _have a choice to not care about me at all!!" Her own words hit her like a bucket of ice water to the face. _Care?_ she thought. _Severus doesn't care for anyone other than himself._

Her words had hit him, too, like a slap in the face. His blood boiled, and his anger couldn't be contained. _…Bugger!_ he thought. All he could picture was the time James Potter stole Lily from him. That beautiful woman. The one with the deadly beauty-and-brains combination. The one with the outstanding opinions and the strong sense of justice. The one- The one- _whom I loved unconditionally,_ he thought with the utmost grief. Severus shook his head and drew Hermione to him, resting a hand and his chin on the top of her head. "I'm fully aware of my choices," he told her. He held her very tightly, afraid, he realized, that she, too, would fly away. Yes, he understood those fleeting, one-sided feelings very well, but a part of him informed him that her feelings weren't entirely one-sided anymore.

She looked up at him, utterly confused –possibly more confused than before. Her big umber eyes bore into him so deeply.

Severus used his other hand to cup her cheek and cradle it as he kissed her lips. The kiss was very sweet and soft, and he knew it was exactly what they both needed right then. When he drew his head back, he gazed into her eyes again, and that piece of him that told him he definitely had feelings for her –_feelings, not love…necessarily, _he pondered –unlocked something in him, and he breathed a sigh of relief. The Potions teacher kissed the genius witch's forehead and held her even tighter, for he did not want this one to get away.

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**I won't ruin the moment and say too much, but… KYAA!! DOES SEV LOVE 'MIONE?! YAAY! Okay, you can review now to rejoice with me. Thanx!**

**-mew-tsubaki**


	12. 12th Tale

**From the Past**

A HariPo fanfic

by mew-tsubaki

Note: The 1st of **To the Future**'s companion stories is here! I'm borrowing J.K. Rowling's charries once more and giving them a delighted storyline to star in. So let's start a little before when **To the Future** begins, and with another special pairing. And REVIEW!!!

*P.S. –**Humphrey Blethyn** is an O.C., as are **Struther Calle,** **Clee Calle, Amasso Ronan, Tamsin Ronan,** and **Femia Gibbs**.*

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**The Twelfth Tale**

Hermione sighed and blinked happily as the day's events seeped in. Arguing with Clee… Seeing Severus… Arguing with Severus… Talking with him… Kissing him… Being held by him… And to top it off, she had an inkling that Sev –deep down where he wasn't willing to admit so –cared for her. It had been a good day.

_Nothing can ruin this,_ she thought as she finished her rewrite of chapter eighteen for her latest theory. _But on the other hand…_ She gazed at her garnet ring again. Hermione wondered if it would really be all right to plan things normally, as if it were only Harry in her future. _I probably should,_ she decided, grabbing her jacket and locking up the house behind her. _It would be bad if things got out –and out of control._

The witch took the car and drove to her parents' house. She pulled in the driveway, got out, and marched to the large jade green door, upon which she rapped three times.

There was a scuffling noise, and then the door opened. A woman with a short, wavy bob smiled at Hermione and drew her into a big hug. "Oh, Hermione!"

"Hi, Mom!" The witch followed her mother inside and the two women entered the kitchen. "God, it smells wonderful in here. Cake?"

"Just a little bundt," Jane Granger replied as her daughter sat down at the kitchen table. "Oh, by the way, since you and Harry said you wanted to keep it local and relatively muggle, I did some checking around and found this lovely little Protestant church twenty, thirty minutes away." She took an envelope from the refrigerator door and passed it to the witch. "These are pictures of the inside. It's gorgeous."

Hermione sifted through the pictures, gasping at the sanctuary. "It's perfect."

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The next weekend gold-leaf invitations went out to family and friends alike. On the guest list were a few close Granger family members, but most of it was composed of Hermione's magical friends. The Weasleys, Angelina, Verity, Sirius, Remus, Tonks, Neville, Luna, the Patil twins, Dumbledore, McGonagall, Flitwick, Pomfrey, Hagrid, Madam Maxine, Slughorn, Trelawney (at Harry's urging), Sprout, Moody, Viktor Krum –they were just a few of those who received an invitation to the wedding. Hermione also put Snape down on the list, but she held onto his invitation herself. She wasn't sure what to do about him yet.

In addition to Ginny's invite, Hermione also wrote her friend a note:

_Dear Ginny,_

_How are you? Oh, I'm so excited! Guess what? Harry proposed! We're going to get married!!! I can't wait! Enclosed is a formal invitation for you. I hope you come! Maybe you'd even consider being my bridesmaid?_

_Hope you'll write soon!_

_Yours truly, Hermione_

She felt a little iffy writing it. Her friendship with the Weasley daughter had become very brittle since Ron's death during the Second Great War. Actually, it had happened right after Harry had killed Voldemort. The genius witch remembered it vividly, though it was her sobs that had filled the air then.

After Voldemort was gone, the veil had reappeared and Sirius's misty silhouette had floated to the surface. Harry had almost touched the veil to retrieve his godfather, but Hermione had pulled him back. Runes had appeared on the archway, and they spoke of an equivalent exchange. She knew that the veil wanted someone in exchange for Sirius. She even explained as much to Harry, but Harry was going to give it another try. At the last second, Ron had shoved Harry at Hermione and pulled Sirius out of the veil, all the while telling Harry that it was ridiculous for Harry and Sirius to keep missing each other. Sirius had snapped out of some sort of trance as Ron was pulled into the veil, saying that Harry should take care of her and that Ginny should tell their parents goodbye for him. He told Hermione one last time that he loved her, then he was in, the veil shattered, and the only sound was Hermione's screams.

Hermione blinked and finished Ginny's note, tucking it into the redhead's invitation. _Is it right to ask this of her?_ the witch pondered. When the veil had broken, everything had changed; Ginny was single and short yet another brother, Harry became Hermione's love, and Sirius became a very hated man –well, by Ginny. Hermione understood that it wasn't Sirius's fault, that it was just Ron's rashness… but it did sting a bit that Ron was the one to disappear.

The genius witch heaved a sigh and collected her things. After another day at her parents', she was ready for a quick coffee on the way home. She gathered the leftover invitations and stuffed them in her purse. _So ten extras,_ she counted, _and Sev's… Holy shit! Where's Severus's invite?!_ Frantic, she counted and recounted the invites and sifted through all her wedding plans and details –dress, food, people, reception hall, music, church, vows –but she couldn't find it. _This is not happening,_ she thought as she looked under the kitchen table, where she and her mother had done the invites two nights ago.

"Hermione? What are you doing under the table?"

She sat up and bonked her head on the table, putting stars in her eyes, but she ignored the searing pain. The witch scrambled out and got up. "Mom, did you see an invitation?"

Jane laughed. "Hermione, all we've been looking at are invitations!"

"No –This was with the extras, the blanks," she said, holding them out.

"That's it, Hermione."

The girl shook her head. "No, it wasn't a blank. It had a name on it! For Snape! Severus Snape!"

A look of recognition graced Jane's features. "Oh, yes! Your old teacher. I saw you forgot it yesterday, so I dropped it off for you. Don't worry, it's mailed."

Hermione felt like crying. "It was still here because it wasn't _meant_ to be mailed –at least, not yet." She pinched the bridge of her nose and took a deep breath. "Mom…"

"I take it I screwed up?" her mother asked, wincing.

"No, no… It's not your fault. I should've kept it myself, separate from everything else."

Her mother hugged her and then held her at arm's length. "You know, I bet you or Harry could zap it back here-"

"Not Harry!!" Hermione exclaimed. At her mom's startled look, she relaxed and slapped on a smile. "I mean, Harry's busy, and I could probably locate the right spell faster than he. I've gotta go, so we'll start looking at dresses, food, and music some other time." She stuck the extra invites back in her purse and went out to the care.

Now, she had _intended_ to go home since it was pretty much dinnertime, but her body remembered that it had missed a certain appointment that Saturday morning. Her feet and hands drove the car back to her house, but the car didn't park in the driveway; instead, it continued past the house and turned onto gravelly Spinner's End.

_No matter how you look at it, this is just _bad, Hermione thought as she parked and quieted the engine. She turned the car off and sat for a moment, thinking. _The probability that the letter wasn't delivered is way too slim._ With a groan, she banged her head on the steering wheel, closing her eyes and resting her forehead on her knuckles.

After a minute, she sensed a presence at the driver's door. The witch looked up and saw a hand pressing an invite to the window. The hand crunched the wedding invitation and moved away to reveal Severus's scowling face. Hermione gulped and got out of the car.

"I take it this means nothing I said last weekend got through that mound of bushy hair," Severus said through gritted teeth.

"Er, it penetrated…," she mumbled. "But I couldn't just drop things with Harry!"

"Worried about status, are we?" he sneered.

She glared at him. "Well, _here's_ a thought: If drama and scandal surround me and then anyone found out I was hanging around the Bat Cave, don't you think scandal would begin to enshroud _you_?!"

His onyx eyes bore into her. "Maybe you have a point…but you shouldn't have sent this –this _thing_ to me!"

"I didn't. I was holding onto it –or so I thought," she amended, "but I forgot it one day so my mother helpfully mailed it for me." When he gave her a speculative look, she rolled her eyes. "Fine. Don't believe me. And I wasted all my time driving here to visit the Jurassic Snark."

But Severus didn't laugh. "Don't you have things to do? A wedding to plan?"

Again she rolled her eyes. "You don't _have_ to hold a grudge, you know. You _could_ let me make it up to you."

"Um, no." He turned and walked into his house, tossing the wedding invite on the ground outside.

Hermione picked up his trash and threw it in the waste basket inside. "Um, yes. You know, Severus, you never gave me a birthday present."

He came to a screeching halt, and she ran into his back. The wizard shook his head then, and continued down the hall. "No. No, no…," he muttered to himself.

She laughed and, of course, followed him. "Are you having perverted thoughts? Why, I never! Ha ha!!" The witch had to actually pause, she was laughing so hard. "Well, it's okay. I won't pressure you," she teased.

Severus stopped at the foot of the stairs and suddenly turned to face her. His expression was fairly grim. "Answer me this: Why is the date set for the summer next year?"

The question was very unexpected, and Hermione didn't speak for a moment. After a silent minute passed, she opened her mouth. "Well, it'll be easier for the staff to come to the wedding, and Ginny will be out of school so she can be _in_ the wedding," she responded with a smile, but she knew he could tell it was forced. She averted her eyes and sighed. "I'm also hoping that things will change if given enough time." Her eyes darted to him briefly, but she again looked away. "…Well, I should get home. Good night, Severus," she whispered as she walked away.

"Good night, Hermione."

Those few words carried a small magic of their own, a magic that seemed to heal her, if only a bit.

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**I'm keeping one of the best parts for the next chapter, so let's continue on and REVIEW!!!!!!!!!!**

**-mew-tsubaki**


	13. 13th Tale

**From the Past**

A HariPo fanfic

by mew-tsubaki

Note: The 1st of **To the Future**'s companion stories is here! I'm borrowing J.K. Rowling's charries once more and giving them a delighted storyline to star in. So let's start a little before when **To the Future** begins, and with another special pairing. And REVIEW!!!

*P.S. –**Humphrey Blethyn** is an O.C., as are **Struther Calle,** **Clee Calle, Amasso Ronan, Tamsin Ronan,** and **Femia Gibbs**.*

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**The Thirteenth Tale**

The next few visits seemed scripted: sarcasm, school talk, random talk –everything but the subject of the wedding was approached. To Hermione, it felt as if –though slightly –Severus was becoming colder, quite like the November weather.

"What's the glum look for?" Humphrey asked her. "You wrapped up the book, right?"

"Yeah…" Hermione took out the muggle-born theory and passed it to him. "Um, how did the rewrite for my Squib theory look?"

Humphrey smile. "It's perfect. I'll work out the details later this week, and then we'll start looking at book-signing events and the like."

She pulled her hair back in a ponytail. "Well, that's a relief. I guess the only thing on my plate right now is the half-blood theory."

"Well, take your time," he said, waddling behind his desk to open the curtains. Midday light streamed through and flowed over the furniture. Humphrey turned to the witch. "Is there anything specific you'll need for it?"

"I don't think so. Plenty of the info is public knowledge. With a little bit of science thrown in, I'll pull the information together and that'll be the half-blood theory. I might set up some interviews, though."

He had been fiddling with his cuff links, but at that his eyes lifted up. "Thinking Harry might be one?"

She pursed her lips. "I'm just concerned that: a) I won't have enough time with him for an interview and b) it might be a conflict of interest."

"I s'pose…" Humphrey nodded, but he also flipped through a planner. "How about I talk to my boss and see if that's all right? If not, you should have a few others lined up."

"I'd do more than one, obviously, to prove my point," Hermione stated. She paused. "What about Severus Snape?"

Humphrey chortled, and Hermione got the distinct image of a walrus having a seizure. "_Snape_? Are you _jesting_?! That… That would be…" He trailed off and looked to the side, thinking. "Actually, that doesn't sound half bad. A little bit of controversy sells, I like to think. I'll owl Dumbledore right now."

"No!" she exclaimed, involuntarily raising her hands in a 'stop!' motion. "I mean, it's been a while since I've been to Hogwarts, so maybe I should drop by anyway, for old time's sake."

"Y'know, you're right," her editor agreed. "Go on, enjoy yourself, and I'll let you know when we need to review your muggle-born theory together." He sat down and got right to work.

"See you, Humphrey," the genius witch said, waving, as she left Romula Publications.

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"Of course you're going to turn blue! You inhaled the fumes after incorrectly dropping fairy wings into the potion! Ten points from Hufflepuff!" Snape snarled. He waved his wand and cleared the concoction. "Go straight to Madam Pomfrey."

He was saved from having to continue class when the lunch bell rang. The class noisily gathered their things and poured out into the halls. Severus thought he overheard a student or some students complaining about him being stricter than usual, but he didn't bother trying to find out whose house to take points from. It had already been a long day.

Severus had planned on correcting papers during the lunch break, but instead he thought, _Screw it. All I do is work._ He went downstairs to the Great Hall and took his seat at the staff table in between Flitwick and Gibbs. Unwillingly, his eyes wandered to where Black sat having a jolly good time with Longbottom and Weasley. A tinge of jealousy touched him, but Severus brushed it aside. The food tasted bland after that thought, and he tuned out the conversations on either side of him.

On his way back to his classroom, something snapped him out of his trance. A leathery, wrinkled hand had touched his arm, and Severus met Dumbledore's watery blue gaze. "Yes, headmaster?"

"May I join you on your walk back to class, Severus?"

"Of course." Dumbledore's robes swished at his feet as he passed the Potions teacher. Severus followed quietly behind, wondering what had brought the headmaster to him. When they were at the end of the hall, Severus stopped. "Is there any particular reason for your company, headmaster?"

Dumbledore did not immediately answer. Instead, he turned and smiled. "You seem to be enjoying the weekends more, Severus. Good for you."

The bat's heart leapt into his throat. "I decided a change of pace was needed. Something different than all the past years."

At that, the elderly wizard raised his eyebrows. "Different, indeed. I've noticed you've taken to shopping sprees every weekend."

"Er…" For once, Severus Snape was at a loss for words. Months ago, his mouth had opened and spoken of an arrangement with Hermione, not even stopping to consider anything else. "Well… I don't shop every time I leave the school grounds, headmaster. Even when I do pick up an order, it is small enough that I pay for it myself. Only two or three times have I used the school's funds for my class."

"I see." Again a silence followed as they ascended the stairs for the next level. "Have you heard the good news?"

"News, headmaster?"

Dumbledore nodded. "News concerning two of our Second Great War heroes. Harry will be marrying Hermione."

"Ah." _Not this again,_ Severus thought, a dull ache in his chest that he regarded as heartburn. _How often must I be accosted by this drivel?_

"Minerva and I have already received invitations, as have many other faculty members, for the summertime wedding. Have you received yours yet?"

The Potions teacher thought about how to answer. He wondered what reaction would be produced by either a negative or a positive response. He went with the truth. "Yes, headmaster."

"What are you going to do?"

Severus felt blindsided by the question. What was Dumbledore implying that he knew? Had he been watching Severus's responses to the wedding just now? Or was it that, plus the tardiness at the start of term _and_ the weekend trips? Severus had to be careful; Dumbledore was clever, and knew him well. "I'm doubtful of my attendance, if that is what you mean."

"I see." Dumbledore's ever-famous conversation ender left things there, at the door to Severus's classroom. Severus entered and closed the door behind him, grateful for a blanket of dimmed light.

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**Big events in the next 2 chappies, so STAY WITH ME! & REVIEW!!!!!!!!!**

**-mew-tsubaki :)**


	14. 14th

**From the Past**

A HariPo fanfic

by mew-tsubaki

Note: The 1st of **To the Future**'s companion stories is here! I'm borrowing J.K. Rowling's charries once more and giving them a delighted storyline to star in. So let's start a little before when **To the Future** begins, and with another special pairing. And REVIEW!!!

*P.S. –**Humphrey Blethyn** is an O.C., as are **Struther Calle,** **Clee Calle, Amasso Ronan, Tamsin Ronan,** and **Femia Gibbs**.*

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**The Fourteenth Tale**

_Dumbledore suspects something,_ Severus thought as he taught the third years about brewing Graiae poison. His palms felt slightly clammy as he portioned out ingredients. _It's also possible that he _knows_ something, which is worse._ The class continued in silence, so he went to the chalkboard at the head of the room and faced it. He pinched the bridge of his nose in exasperation and sighed. It was Friday, and he'd be seeing the cause of his recently acquired anxiety tomorrow morning.

_I never did respond to her statement about a stupid gift,_ he pondered as he glanced at the concoctions brewing around him. Severus walked up and down the aisles separating the desks. _Of course, I dodged that statement with a pause when my mind brought up…_ He stopped and leaned on a table with one hand, the other covering his face in shame. As Snape as he was, he was still male, and there was only one ribbon-wrapped present that came to mind. Then his mind drifted to the question he had brought up:

_"Why is the date set for the summer next year?"_

That one stupid question that had thickened the air like cake batter. Severus straightened up and kept going. He wished that witch was as easy to decipher as a potion. He could separate her different emotions, look at each individually to understand why she needed them, and then reassemble her with a better knowledge of how to handle her; if he better knew how to handle her, then maybe there wouldn't be so many explosions.

_Well,_ he hoped, _let's just pray that there isn't one tomorrow._

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"A smirk? Why are _you_ smirking?"

Hermione had to stifle a laugh. "Honestly, I wasn't expecting you to show up after last week. But you're just full of surprises!" Then she did laugh.

"I have half a mind to ditch you," he retorted.

"Severus," the witch said as they strolled Diagon Alley, "you can't ditch me. You're in way over your head here." She grabbed his arm to pull him in closer. "As one might say, you're in way too deep."

He pulled away with a grimace on his face. "Your words imply that I've committed a crime."

Hermione pouted. "Are you saying you haven't committed even the tiniest infraction? Such theft?"

"Theft of what?"

"A taken woman's heart, of course."

At that, he tripped. Severus scowled at her. "It's barely the afternoon, and you've already started with that mawkish crap."

Hermione grinned. "Ah, good old Snape."

"What do you mean?" he asked with a furrowed brow.

She frowned at him. "Sev, you've been out of it since earlier when I first saw you an hour ago. I just wanted to make sure you were all right."

"I'm fine," he replied. He tugged at his collar. "It's cold today."

She nodded. "Even for you."

He grimaced, but he ignored it. She was bundled up, too, but most everyone was since it was late November. Severus wondered what the two of them would do when it actually started snowing; surely she didn't expect the walks to keep going? _The walks can't continue in the first place,_ he thought as he stared at his feet. _How long do I plan to play Hermione's game?_

_Until Harry's out of the picture so you can win,_ a nagging voice urged from his heart.

The grimace remained on Sev's face. "Ugh…"

Hermione tugged his hand and he snapped out of his ponderings. "Um," she mumbled, "I get the feeling that we're being followed."

Severus scanned the bodies around them and didn't see anything, but –now that she mentioned it –he got the same feeling. "Maybe we should call it a day," he said to her.

"No! Why should we?" she chided. "We've been enjoying ourselves and –well… We don't know who's tailing us, so…splitting up might do more harm than good."

"It's nearing half-past three already," the wizard commented. "I should've left more than an hour ago. This is the longest we've been out so far."

"All the more reason to stay out some more," she huffed. Hermione looked around. "Shall we exit the alley for a bit?"

He thought for a moment. "What if they follow?"

"We'll take care of that when we reach that point." The witch paused and then turned around. She headed back the way they had come, with the bat keeping close behind.

"Is there any point for the turn-around?" Sev whined.

"If they passed us, then they were expecting to get ahead of us. Since we probably passed them, we're now ahead of them. I just hope they don't realize right away-"

"Watch out!!" Severus leaned forward and caught her before she could fall face-first after tripping over someone's feet. His arm easily fit around her slim waist, but he wasn't paying attention to that. _Another accident has been avoided,_ he thought.

"Get your ruddy arm off her!"

Hermione's head snapped up at the voice, and she barely missed hitting Severus's schnoz. Her cheeks flushed as the man two years her senior stomped over to them. "Clee?!" she exclaimed. "What are you doing here?!"

The blonde wizard angrily shoved his rectangular frames up the bridge of his nose. "Tailing _you_, of course! That snake there can't be trusted!" he barked with an air of finality, pointing at Snape.

Sev, by now, had removed his arm from Hermione and was holding his hands up as if he had been caught. Hermione glared at him for not saying anything, but she turned her furious look on Clee. "What I do with my life is none of your business."

Clee flinched, but he returned her glare. He opened his mouth to say something else, but he got cut off.

"Yum, Severus! Thank you for taking care of him 'til now, 'Mione!!" came Tamsin's voice from behind the pair.

Hermione and Severus both looked over their shoulders at the same time just as Tamsin caught Sev by the arm. She yanked on his arm and kissed his cheek. Severus pulled away with a disgusted frown and wiped his cheek to remove the lipstick. Hermione's heart twinged. "Tam-"

But Clee grabbed Hermione's hand and pulled the genius witch to him. He nodded at Tamsin. "So we're done then."

Tamsin gave Clee a victory smile. "Yep. Been a pleasure spying with you, Mr. Calle."

Clee curtly nodded again and turned to leave with Hermione, but her grunted when she resisted. "Let's _go_, Hermione."

"No," she hissed.

"You're drawing attention to yourself," Clee countered.

Worry flashed across her face, and her eyes darted to Severus. Without words, she lowered her head. But she still wouldn't move.

Clee rolled his eyes. "C'mon, Hermione. Hanging around him won't do you any good."

Again, the spitfire in her arose. "You don't know anything about him! And all you know about me is what you've seen at the store! That's a _fraction_ of my true!"

"I love that fraction!" Clee growled. His brow was furrowed, but his eyes were listless and so melancholy. Hermione saw that sadness, but shock and surprise kept her rooted to the spot. "I love that fraction," he repeated as his cheeks grew hot, "and I know I'll love the rest once I learn it."

Hermione blinked a few times, and her gaze again fell on her feet. She could feel Severus bristling even with the meter of distance between them. Her mouth was dry, though, because she didn't know what to say to Clee.

Unfortunately Sev's stubbornness got the better of him this time. He yanked his arm back from Tamsin and smoothed his sleeve. Hermione faced him with glassy eyes, but his blood just…boiled. "No more," he muttered. And he walked without an entourage. It was a miracle he even said anything without brandishing his wand, he felt.

Tamsin tsked. "Damn! After all that watching from afar, and my hottie's getting' away!" She shrugged. "Ah, well. I'll sooth his heart later." Her catlike lavender eyes locked with Hermione's briefly, then slid to meet Clee's. She saluted him. "Good luck, kid." Then she, too, was off, but –much to Hermione's relief –in a direction different from Severus's.

Clee reached for Hermione's hand again, but he was met without resistance this time, so he was gentler. "C'mon, Hermione."

She numbly nodded, and the two left the public eye for the bookshop.

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**EEKS! HOW COULD THIS'VE HAPPENED?! We now have a love pentagon, folks, involving Mione, Sev, Harry, Tam-Tam, and Clee –how could it get any more complicated?! –Oh, wait. This is a mew-tsubaki story; of course we can get a little more ensnared. Well, let's READ & REVIEW!!!**

**-mew-tsubaki**


	15. 15th Tale

**From the Past**

A HariPo fanfic

by mew-tsubaki

Note: The 1st of **To the Future**'s companion stories is here! I'm borrowing J.K. Rowling's charries once more and giving them a delighted storyline to star in. So let's start a little before when **To the Future** begins, and with another special pairing. And REVIEW!!!

*P.S. –**Humphrey Blethyn** is an O.C., as are **Struther Calle,** **Clee Calle, Amasso Ronan, Tamsin Ronan,** and **Femia Gibbs**.*

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**The Fifteenth Tale**

"So it's love, is it?"

Hermione asked in such a quiet voice that Clee nearly jumped. But his cheeks crimsoned nonetheless. "…Yes," he answered. He looked down at her figure and watched a blustery wind blow her hair in her face. "Where's the hair clip I gave you?"

She picked her head up. "_You_ didn't give-" And the witch caught herself. "It was a gift solely from you."

"Yeah…" He opened the door to the store for her and came in second. "Um, dad's upstairs, and it's a little early, but do you want to stay for supper?"

Clee grinned at her, but Hermione just sat in a chair with a glum expression on her face. By her look, she was definitely thinking of something else.

"Supper, Hermione?" Clee repeated.

"He just left," she whispered, then she blinked, and it was as if she had just returned to the present. "I'm sorry, did you say something, Clee?"

Clee smiled and held up a hand. "Nope. I thought you should get home, though. Y'know, if Harry's home in time for dinner."

Hermione gasped. _Harry!_ She looked at Clee, who seemed normal.

The wizard got it. "I'm sorry, Hermione," he said. "I shouldn't have told you. You're engaged to Harry and confused about that sketchy Potions teacher. The last thing you need is me added to the mix."

She stood and hugged him. "Clee, I don't feel-"

"I don't want to hear it," he interrupted, covering her mouth with his hand. "I know, but I'm hoping that as long as it's not said, I might still have a chance."

"Clee," she sternly stated, "I've always thought highly of you. That's why I wouldn't want to lead you on." Hermione held him at arm's length. "I think of you as a big brother, the sibling I've never had."

His mouth hung open a little, but then he smiled again and ruffled her hair. "Yeah, I got that feeling. Well, I'll just be the really overprotective big brother then. I mean, I've kinda always been, since you first set foot in our store before you started your first year at Hogwarts." He ruffled her hair some more and then broke away from her. "Now I'm serious. Get home before Harry sends out his Auror search party."

Reluctantly, Hermione smiled and turned to leave. She paused with her hand on the door handle. "I'll see you guys Tuesday," the witch called over her shoulder. She exited then, and Clee was left alone.

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"Potions _has_ begun," Sev snapped later the next week. The seventh years quieted as he flicked his wand and instructions appeared on the board. His blood was still boiling, even though it was now four days later. He paused in his item-sorting to clench his fists. _That woman… Bloody fucking great way to start December._

He needed the silence in his class right now, but there was no way things were going to go his way at the moment. The door squeaked open and closed, and he heard soft footsteps treading as quietly as possible to not disturb him. Snape whipped around.

"Weasley."

The Weasley girl froze a few steps from her seat. She straightened up. "I'm sorry for my tardiness, sir, I-"

"I don't want excuses, Miss Weasley." He moved in front of the aisle she was standing in. "Come here."

"Yes, professor." She quickly walked to the front.

"Give me the instructions for brewing Sirenian Parfum."

"But, sir –that's in the next chapter-" a Slytherin boy piped up.

"One must always be prepared for the unexpected in my class," Severus cut off. _Should I take points from my own house?_ he thought. _That boy usually follows Ginevra here… Maybe… _He brought his attention back to the youngest Weasley. "The instructions, please."

"Well… You need to grind merrow scales, first, and then you boil them in jasmine water. Next you add a sprig of cinnamon and exactly one quintaped hair. Stirring deosil eight times every four and six-seventh minutes, you slowly add the tablespoon of salamander blood. After twenty-nine minutes, the potion must be automatically iced and corked in a linen-lined porcelain jar. It can be stored for up to seven months, on hand for the removal of hexes embedded inside the bones or sub-consciousness, where normal counter-hexes can't work."

She shifted on her feet. The room was deathly quiet, and he could feel each and every stupid student staring at him. "Fine," he finally acquiesced. "I'll excuse you today since you gave me all the directions for brewing Sirenian Parfum, but you will sit down and make sure this is the last time you are ever late to my class, Weasley." Severus turned his back on the class as the witch got settled, and he finished his organization. "Homework out now," he huffed. "I will collect it before anyone feels like copying another's essay."

He flicked his wand and the parchments floated from each seventh year to his desk. Sev paused writing on the blackboard to gather the papers, and he counted them.

_Goddammit…_ "Weasley, it seems I am missing this assignment from you."

"Y-Yes, sir." She sat up straight in her chair –she had probably been rummaging through her bag to find it. "I think there seems to be a minor setback. I may have dropped it in one of my previous classes. If I could just go and check…?"

He didn't bother glancing up at what he was sure was an ashen face. "No, you may not. You not having it right now is as good as you never writing it. I will not grant you time to scribble something out, Weasley. Detention. My office. Right after supper."

"Sir, maybe another night…?"

Severus lowered the essays and looked at her this time. "And why should another night be better than this one?"

The witch lowered her head, and he knew she understood she had lost. "I don't know professor."

"Good. Then after supper, it is." Well, maybe something _had_ gone his way –after all, another Gryffindor had received detention from him. Revenge was sweet.

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Somehow Snape had managed to make it through the rest of his classes. He actually heaved a sigh of relief when he entered the Great Hall for dinner. Also somehow, Snape had gotten into a conversation about students with Flitwick.

"Is the Weasley girl average in your class?" he asked Filius.

The goblin shook his head. "No, Miss Weasley is a very good student in my class." Filius grinned from pointy ear to pointy ear. "On par with Miss Granger from a few years back. You remember her, don't you, Severus?"

"Yes," Sev answered, and he had the strong urge to smile. _If only he knew…_ But he quelled the thought and placed his fork on his clean plate. "If you'll excuse me, I have someone serving detention now for not handing in her homework, the person being the Weasley you have just been exclaiming about, Filius. Good night."

Flitwick returned the 'good night' and Snape turned to leave only to be caught behind Sirius Black. Sev tched and passed the bloody Marauder and went straight to his classroom.

Barely five minutes later, Severus heard a sound outside his office. _Ah,_ he thought, standing, _that must be the Know-It-All._ But then he heard singing.

"Snivellus, dear!" And in burst Black.

Snape growled. "What the ruddy hell are you doing here?"

Sirius produced a paper from behind his back. "I overheard you talking with Flitwick, and when I went to clean up my classroom after supper, I found this on the floor. Ginny's assignment."

"Let me see that." The Potions teacher snatched the essay from the Dark Arts professor and skimmed it. "How am I supposed to know that she didn't just sneak into your room as an excuse?"

"My room was Charmed locked after class, just as all classes are one or two periods before supper," Black retorted.

"I don't trust you," Snape muttered with a sneer, "but I'll take it anyway. Leave."

Sirius smiled. "Severus, you should trust me –and Ginny and Remus and everyone else by now. We're all Second Great War heroes." He poked Snape in the chest. "Including you, you greasy old bat."

Sev glared at the other wizard and, with a fast nonverbal spell, marched Black out of his office. As soon as the quiet had returned, he put the Weasley girl's homework with the rest. He _really_ wanted to hit something right now. The detention had been invalidated, Black had gone partially sentimental on him, Hermione had another suitor to deal with-

_-Wait, that's not my problem anymore. Besides, I was never a suitor to begin with…_ Even as he pondered it, that statement seemed really weak. _Merlin, why did I tell her "no more"?_

Another sound interrupted his agonizing. It was a knock at the door. He marched over, threw the door open, and barked at Ginny Weasley, "Your homework appeared. Get out."

But _nooo_, she stood, blinking stupidly at him. "My homework turned up?"

He glowered at her. "Unfortunately, yes, but you did still show up late for class."

"But you said you'd excused me for that by telling you the ingredients for the parfum," she annoyingly recalled.

Severus could feel the steam coming out of his ears. "So I did… Fine. You're safe for tonight, but the next slip-up you have will be the last time you see daylight, Weasley." With that, he slammed his office door in her face, glad to be rid of the nuisances for the night.

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That Thursday, Hermione got the call.

She had been at home when her cell went off. Hermione checked the called ID and saw that it was Humphrey. Even now, she still thought it funny that her editor preferred muggle devices over wizard ones. She hit the send button. "Yes, Humphrey?"

"Everything's perfect!! Both of your books are at the printers right now! We've got to work out your schedule for the next four months!"

"I-? Wha…? _Four months_?!!" Hermione fell off the couch. "You're publishing both of those theories at once?!"

"Yes!" Humphrey triumphantly exclaimed.

"But I only gave you the muggle-born manuscript a few weeks ago!"

"And it was perfect!! Things will be a little hectic, what with all the signings and interviews and guest appearances and lectures –in fact, your first signing will be this Saturday!"

At that, she swallowed the lump in her throat. "S-Saturday…?" It came out as a hoarse whisper.

"Yep," Humphrey answered. "The ball's rolling, Hermione, and we've got to keep it going while we can. So meet me at my office Saturday, seven o'clock sharp." A final click ended the conversation.

The cell fell from Hermione's hand. _Why _this_ Saturday?!_ she thought. _I was going to patch things up-_

_"No more."_

Sev's words came rushing back like an ice cold tidal wave to the face. _Maybe,_ she thought, _this is for the better._

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**Ooh, another sad note. Oh, well. I dunno how long the next couple of chappies will be, but Snemione needs some cheering on, so REVIEW, PEOPLES! & on to chappie 16, we march!**

**-mew-tsubaki**

**P.S. –To find out why Ginny wanted detention another night, and why Sirius so helpfully produced her homework, please see ****To the Future****, ch. 10 (although you really should just read the entire story; it's funny). …and thus ends my tiny advert. Thank you, and review. :)**


	16. 16th Tale

**From the Past**

A HariPo fanfic

by mew-tsubaki

Note: The 1st of **To the Future**'s companion stories is here! I'm borrowing J.K. Rowling's charries once more and giving them a delighted storyline to star in. So let's start a little before when **To the Future** begins, and with another special pairing. And REVIEW!!!

*P.S. –**Humphrey Blethyn** is an O.C., as are **Struther Calle,** **Clee Calle, Amasso Ronan, Tamsin Ronan,** and **Femia Gibbs**.*

**New O.C. mentioned: **Laurel Windmere.****

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**The Sixteenth Tale**

"We got an invite to the Weasleys' Christmas party," Harry told Hermione two weeks later.

"Finally, an event that isn't public!" She banged her head on the table after she put her fork down. "I can finally relax…"

Harry chuckled and gathered up the dishes. "Hermione, you've got to slow down. You've already done two signings and an interview with Rita Skeeter. Does Humphrey even realize there's a holiday next week?"

The genius witch frowned. "I already told him that I'm not doing anything at all next week. You and I will of course go to the Weasleys' for Christmas Eve, but my parents want us the night before. Then add in a few odds and ends-" She paused and abruptly lifted her head. "Tell me you're not working."

The wizard came back from the kitchen and rubbed one of her shoulders. "No, I'm not working. Seriously," he added when she gave him a doubtful look. "I'm second-in-command of my department, and one of the few with a family, so I get to take at least four days off during next week. So, we can party with your parents, live it up at the Weasleys', and we even get Christmas day to ourselves." He kissed the top of her head. "I'll save my fourth day for New Year's Eve, though, and we can go into London, if you like."

"I would very much like that," Hermione answered as she stood. She hugged Harry very tightly, glad for a source of warmth. The dishes were put away, the cat was taken care of, and a very exhausted witch was tucked in for a good night's sleep.

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Hermione was glad to have a break from all the autographing. Her hand killed, and her right elbow felt like it would lock at any second. It hurt so much that she wondered if she had developed a small case of tendonitis.

Crookshanks seemed to think so, too. Dr. Fuzzybottom's prescription? Several hours of purring cat applied to aching arm. Eventually, Hermione gave up trying to keep Crooks off her, because she didn't want to look completely bedraggled for her parents.

The little party her parents threw, actually, was more than just the two of them and Harry and her. Harry had the chance to meet more of the Granger clan, but even Hermione felt a little out of place with some of her parents' friends. Only when Christmas Eve came did Harry and Hermione feel completely at ease.

…

Well, somewhat.

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"Ooh, Harry! Hermione! So good of you to make it!!" Molly Weasley cheered when they arrived.

Just like any other Weasley Christmas, this one was lively. Obviously, Molly and Arthur were holding down the fort, but the twins were there, too, with Angelina and Verity. Lupin and Tonks were mulling about, Tonks looking merry with her pregnant belly. Even Neville and Luna had come. But there was an extra face in the crowd.

"Snape?" Harry asked.

Severus picked his head up –and paled. Harry walked up to him, and Hermione hid behind her fiancé. All she could remember were his cold words. But his moment of paleness disappeared. "Potter," he spat.

Harry rolled his eyes. "Dare I ask how this school year's been?"

For a split second, Sev's eyes darted to Hermione's, but he –easily? –tore them away. "I could've said 'good riddance' to the lot of you, but then the Weasley girl returned. Now she's the latest thorn in my side." At that moment, Black joined them, and Snape exchanged a glare with him.

Harry was glaring at the Potions master, as well. "If you don't like us, then why bother coming to our Christmas party, _Severus_?"

Severus partially choked on his butterbeer, but he was careful not to consciously or unconsciously look at Hermione. Hermione did her best not to glance at him, as well. She missed the last time she had called him by his first name. He walked off without another word.

Sirius tapped Harry's shoulder and hugged his godson. "It's good to see you, Sirius," Harry said.

"I'm glad to be seen," he replied.

Hermione had been holding Harry's hand when it occurred to her to raise her left hand. "Oh, Sirius, we didn't tell you! Well, you must've heard." She made a mental note to check things later, because she didn't remember giving him an invite. _Oops._

Sirius's face seemed to harden a bit, but he replied, "Yes, I had." They looked at him, expecting something more, and he finally gave them a 'congrats'.

The genius smiled. "I can't wait! We were thinking that maybe we'd hold off until Ginny's finished that way she can be my maid of honor. Oh, I do hope she'd write back soon."

"She's busy." Hermione thought that comment odd, and Harry must've, too, because they both gave him peculiar looks. "I mean," he amended, "she must be busy. You know, N.E.W.T.s and all."

Harry nodded, but Hermione eyed him skeptically. _Sirius is acting quite strange…concerning Ginny,_ she observed. Her thoughts jumbled, though, when Severus bumped into her and went past. Her cheeks burned bright red, so she hid her face behind Harry's shoulder.

Of course, Sev wasn't having much luck at the party, either. "Just one picture!!" Molly teased. "Come on, Severus! You, Remus, Sirius-! It'll be just like old days!!"

"Are you daft, woman?" he stated. "Why would I want to be in a picture with those two bumbling Marauders?"

Lupin sauntered up and smiled. "How about we make it a teacher photo? Neville and Charlie can be in it, too."

"We're not _all_ that bad, Snivellus," Black commented. "I'll try not to bite."

"You stay the bloody hell away from me, you mutt," Snape warned. He kept backing up, but Lupin nodded to Sirius and the two of them caught Severus.

"That reminds me," Molly thought aloud. "Where is Charlie?"

"He'll be here," Arthur told his wife. "We can always take another picture later."

"I don't think I'm too keen on pictures," Longbottom piped up. "Maybe you should just take another with the four of you when Charlie gets here."

Severus wondered why he had come in the first place. What had he been trying to accomplish? It's not like he liked the Weasleys, or any of these other people, for that matter. And how could he have forgotten Hermione would be here with the Potter boy? She was even waving the huge garnet around like she was proud of it. _And for all I know,_ Sev commented to himself, _she might be proud of it. But garnet doesn't suit her._ He blinked at his last thought, and felt the room become very warm very quickly. The Potions teacher shook his head slightly, rejoining the scene; the _Quibbler_ reporter had just remarked on something.

"Yes, yes, Luna, dear," Lupin stated, but Severus saw that the werewolf said so with a different kind of grin on his face. Snape thought that quite peculiar while Lupin said something else and then ushered the girl to the side. After all, hadn't idiots married idiots? Sev's eyes slid to the other side of the room to Lupin's dejected-looking, pregnant wife.

_Ah, yes. An affair,_ Severus thought, and then Black caught him from behind. The bat cursed under his breath. _Damn it…_ As Lupin walked back to them for the photo, Sev glanced at Black, whose eyes were darting from Lupin to the Lovegood girl to Lupin's wife and finally came to settle on a glare at Lupin's back. _So you're not the biggest idiot in the world, Black._

Again, his thoughts were interrupted. "Say-" Molly began.

"-'Dungbombs'!" her twin sons interjected, and the flash went off.

Black and Lupin smiled at the joke, but Sev sneered when the flash went off and the picture was taken. The photo popped and Black caught it. Lupin looked at it over his friend's shoulder and, glancing at the Lovegood girl, remarked, "I'm rather photogenic, aren't I?"

"Bloody 'ell!!" Black exclaimed. "I look like I haven't got a neck! I'm chucking this shirt…"

Severus frowned (**mt: okay, he hadn't smiled before this point, but you get the point**). "…Why am _I_ in this picture?" he groused.

"We thought you'd be the next James, obviously, dear Snivellus," Black said.

"Look you little-" Sev glowered at his enemy, his muscles tensing. His fingers almost reached for his wand, itching for a fight.

Lupin stepped in between them. "Calm down, Severus. Sirius was only joking. Right, Sirius?"

"Absolutely, 'Mum'!"

Lupin narrowed his eyes. "Watch it or I'll strangle you myself," the werewolf said through gritted teeth.

Severus took the opportunity to walk away. "Note to self: Strangle Dumbledore at beginning of new term for hiring these two nitwits."

The others seemed fin without him, and Snape was almost glad for it. Again he reminded himself that there had been no point in coming here. He watched as the now-eldest Weasley boy –Charles –arrived with his girlfriend, a Laurel Windmere. These people were too happy, too cheery for Severus's taste. _Except,_ he noted as he saw them standing apart from the rest of the party goers whilst Lupin chatted up the Lovegood girl, _for the were's wife and Longbottom. And _I'm_ the miserable one?_

In a few hours' time, the party wound down, and Molly gathered some presents from the tree. She stood with her husband and Charlie and Laurel at the door, ready to thank the others as they left. Sev seized the chance and exited first. Unfortunately, he couldn't dodge the embrace from Molly, but Arthur gave his hand a quick shake and passed him a small package. The bat glanced at it and raised his eyebrows, but he tried to turn his frown up at the ends a bit. Arthur must've realized his intentions and smiled back. "Happy Christmas, Severus," the Weasley father wished.

"Hmph. Yes." He turned then to leave, but an arm hit his rather hard. Automatically, he glared and he saw that Hermione was the offender. This surprised him, and he wondered if that registered on his face, for she gave him a fleeting, defiant smile. Briefly, she grasped his hand, and then she moved on with Harry.

Severus finally got outside when he realized the witch had stuffed something into his hand. It was tiny, but it still seemed a gift of sorts. The wizard returned to Hogwarts and made his way to his office. Once there, he opened the Weasleys' present, finding a pair of crudely knitted pine green gloves with silver wrists. _Well,_ he thought, _at least they're sort of warm._

Then he turned his attention to Hermione's gift. It really was small, a box no longer than his index finger and no wider than two of his fingers together. He opened it. Inside was a seal. He looked at the design, an elegantly carved snake in the shape of an S with…

"Bat wings?!" he hissed. He unfolded the box the rest of the way, because there appeared to be a message inside:

_To Severus-_

_Shakespeare __did__ say that we would reach the heavens on the wings of knowledge. I wonder if he foresaw what kind of wings specifically... _

_Happy Christmas, Sev._

_Luv, Mione_

He couldn't help it. He fell into his chair and laughed. ACTUALLY LAUGHED, peoples. _Of all the ridiculous… Even though I –well, stupidly on my part –told her that was it, she still tries._ Sev's back shook as he laughed again.

A minute later he stood and retired to his room. While changing, he glanced at some of his short jackets. "I doubt some of these fit me anymore…"

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_Ohmygod, ohmygod, ohmygod!_ Hermione's cheeks were permanently aflame from the moment she had given Severus her present to the return of her and Harry home. She doubted Harry noticed anything different, but she didn't dawdle downstairs too long. After double-checking the tree and the presents beneath it, she kissed Harry goodnight and went to bed before him.

Well… She changed and got under the covers and her eyes were closed, but her mind wouldn't shut off. He had been at the party, she had poofed his gift from home and given it to him… She felt too giddy to sleep, and _tomorrow_ was Christmas!

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**Okay, 17'll probably be short, but a good follow-up on this chappie. ****REVIEW****!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!**

**-mew-tsubaki**

**P.S. –This Xmas chapter correlates with ch. 13 of ****To the Future****, for those of you who would like to see someone else's viewpoint of the night's events (and review that story, too, folks). …and that's another advert. Thanx!!! :D**

**P.P.S. –The next chappie begins a new arc in the story, so the chapters will be 'epics' instead of 'tales' (but I'll still write which tale it is, so as to not be totally confusing).**


	17. 17th Tale, 1st Epic

**From the Past**

A HariPo fanfic

by mew-tsubaki

Note: The 1st of **To the Future**'s companion stories is here! I'm borrowing J.K. Rowling's charries once more and giving them a delighted storyline to star in. So let's start a little before when **To the Future** begins, and with another special pairing. And REVIEW!!!

*P.S. –**Humphrey Blethyn** is an O.C., as are **Struther Calle,** **Clee Calle, Amasso Ronan, Tamsin Ronan,** **Femia Gibbs, **and **Laurel Windmere**.*

**Word of Caution****: The end of this chapter contains some sexually graphic content, one reason for the mature rating. Read at own risk (**But I'm sure most of you will enjoy it**).**

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**The First Epic (& the Seventeenth Tale)**

Christmas morning was perfect. A fresh blanket of ivory snow covered everything outside, and the cold crept in a bit.

Hermione rolled over, expecting to feel the warmth of Harry's chest. However, his spot was cold and empty. She woke up fully and sat up. Their bedroom was empty, but she could hear sounds from downstairs. She smiled, grabbed her bathrobe, and went to see her boys.

At the bottom of the staircase, the first boy nearly tripped her. Crookshanks gazed coyly up at her before ducking under her robe to wind in and out of her legs. After a minute or two, she figured it was more likely that the cat was just searching for warmth.

The witch picked Crooks up and entered the kitchen, where Harry was at the stove. He glanced over his shoulder and then brought his attention back to his cooking. "You weren't supposed to come down here," Harry stated. "I was going to surprise you with breakfast in bed."

"I think I've had my fill of surprises," she retorted, looking at her engagement. She put Crookshanks back on the floor. "Happy Christmas, Harry."

"Happy Christmas, Hermione." He paused for a quick kiss. "Hold on, this is just about done." He squirted something onto two plates and turned around. "Belgian waffles with strawberries."

At that moment, the witch's stomach growled. "Good timing." She poured some dry food into Crooks' food bowl and then ate with Harry. When they finished, Hermione put the dishes in the sink and ushered Harry into the living room.

Harry laughed. "I take it that we're lacking in patience this morning."

"Meh." She shrugged her shoulders and passed him a gift. "Let's start!"

In about an hour or so, Harry and Hermione were only through half of the presents. Amidst the barking cat flap from Fred and George and the usual hand-knit sweaters from Mrs. Weasley, there was chaos. Most of their friends had sent them at least one or two things; it was a miracle it had all fit under the small evergreen.

Truly, they had been unwrapping for several hours, so they stopped for a small lunch. After, Hermione stretched and cracked her neck. "God, listen to that. Um, how about we go for a walk? I need a bit of fresh air."

"We can even don our new sweaters," her fiancé remarked, raising his eyebrows.

"Yes, _you_ can. I'm gonna change. Please feed and brush Crookshanks, and make sure he has fresh water," Hermione asked as she went upstairs.

"Will do," Harry yelled from the first floor.

Hermione nodded to herself and entered their room. She brusquely pulled on her jeans and was rummaging through her shirts when a sound scared her. A tiny 'eep!' escaped her, but when she turned around, she didn't see anything. The witch resumed her search and ended up pulling out an old, purple long-sleeved turtleneck. She dragged it over her head, and she tossed her sleep shirt onto her spot on the bed. And then she paused.

_My eyes _must_ be playing tricks on me,_ the genius observed. Still, she took a step closer to the bed. On her pillow was a black jacket. A very familiar-looking black jacket. Her breath caught in her throat, and she grabbed the cloth. Immediately the mixture of sweet and slightly musky permeated Hermione's senses. Her hands involuntarily brought the jacket to her nose, and she inhaled deeply. The bitterness from the roots and the sweetness from the herbs he used in potion-making, complemented by the hint of musk that was just his scent –it was sensory overload.

She was so caught up in the aroma that she almost didn't notice the note on her pillow, which she supposed had been tucked inside and had fallen out when she had grabbed the jacket. She swiped it up, too:

_To Hermione-_

_Shakespeare may have said we'd reach the heavens on the wings of knowledge, but Beacon said that lazy is one who spends too much time in academics. Figured you'd need something in which you could laze about._

…_Happy Christmas, 'Mione'_

_-Severus_

Beside his name was a print, showing that he'd used the seal she'd given him. While she was the teensiest bit annoyed at how he had signed with just his name at the end, she was overjoyed that he had written 'Mione'. Okay, she was overjoyed she had gotten anything from him. Best of all, she now had a piece of him, something that carried his scent.

The door squeaked then, scaring her. Hermione turned and saw Crooks enter, so she sighed with relief and folded up Severus's jacket. She placed it in an empty drawer, grabbed her own coat, and scooted the cat out of the room.

"Don't you dare get into that drawer," Hermione scolded the feline, and Crookshanks looked up at her with feigned innocence.

"You ready to go?"

"Ah!" The witch stopped short. "Don't scare me like that!" she told Harry. "And I thought you were downstairs."

"Bathroom," he answered flatly, and he led the way outside.

Hermione's collar grew very hot. She felt lucky that Crooks had alerted her and she had stashed Sev's present before Harry could see it. If he had seen it, she knew there would be a _lot_ of explaining to do.

Outside, the snow crunched under their boots. Many other couples and families had decided to take in the fresh air, as well, so the streets were just this side of crowded. Snowmen lined the roads and guarded houses, and dogs chased children and created plenty of yellow snow. The Yule spirit had most definitely infected everyone.

Harry took Hermione's left hand as they walked, and he smiled at their engagement ring. "I saw your interview with Rita Skeeter in the _Daily Prophet_. The picture of you was nice."

Hermione shuddered. "Are you kidding? My hair looked like a lion's mane on a lion's bad hair day."

"I also saw photos from your two signings. A lot of people showed, huh?"

"Yeah, I guess. It's only been a few years, but I have a large fan base. That, and people will sometimes buy just because I'm a hero."

"Yeah…" Harry sounded kinda indifferent, despite the fact that he had brought the subject up. Hermione left it alone, thought, because things were fine otherwise.

Before they knew it, the sun began to droop in the sky. The snow glinted with the magentas and crimsons and orchids of the sunset, and Hermione found her feet grew sore and tired. She watched some of the neighborhood children shriek with delight at a few extra snowballs and then run into their homes for dinner. The witch turned to her fiancé. "Let's head home," she said.

"Yeah," he replied.

They returned home to a yowling cat. Hermione gave Crookshanks a few treats and then nudged his tush out of the living room. She and Harry finished unwrapping the gifts, and she noted that Harry almost seemed himself again.

"What do you want for supper?" the witch asked him once that time came. "We have the ingredients for just about anything."

Harry groaned. "I dunno… After all those Chocolate Frogs, I don't think I want to even _hear_ the word 'food' right now."

Hermione softly chuckled and brought Harry a glass of water. She sipped at her cider. "Y'know, Ron would've helped you with those if…if he were still here."

"I know." He clinked his glass to hers and they drank a silent toast to their lost best friend. A moment passed, and Harry grimaced. "I think I'm just gonna turn in early. Good night, Hermione."

"Um, good night… I'm gonna work a bit on my half-blood theory, so I'll try not to disturb you when I come up later. Happy Christmas, Harry," she added as he ascended the stairs.

"…Happy Christmas."

Once the house quieted, Hermione got to work on her theory, stating that since a half-blood had only one magical parent, there would be a lack of control and more room for the power to grow. She got lost in her references and cross-references until her eyelids grew heavy, and she was soon fast asleep on the couch.

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Like Christmas morning, Hermione awoke the next day, very cold. She found her feet fine and toasty under a sock called Crookshanks, but the rest of her body was chilled to the bone. It was surprising that no blanket covered her, because she could smell the coffee in the kitchen, meaning Harry was up. But usually when he woke before her and she had spent the night in the living room, he would check on her and put a jacket or blanket on her to warm her. This morning –nothing.

Curious, the witch sat up and heard something tiny clatter on the floor. She pushed her notebook and books aside and picked up her bracelet from Ron. Examining it, she saw it wasn't damaged. _I wonder why if fell off?_

At that moment, Harry came downstairs, dressed for work. He headed directly into the kitchen, and Hermione followed after putting her bracelet down next to her things. But she again grew worried when she saw Harry pacing by the coffee pot.

"Harry, what's wrong?" she asked, her brow furrowed.

He grimaced or winced –he looked like he was physically injured, but from what Hermione could see, he was in perfect health. Abruptly, he strode up to her. "Hermione-"

"What?"

The Boy-Who-Lived looked away, as if his words were summoning disaster. He paced some more before stopping again in front of her. "Are you…hiding something from me?"

Hermione froze. What little warmth Crooks had given her fled her now. She had always wondered what she would say in this situation; she had never expected to be confronted with it. She quickly regained her composure. "No, I'm not, Harry," she lied.

"Then why? Why in all the pictures I've seen of you in the papers aren't you wearing your engagement ring?"

"Harry, you know I don't like flashy things-"

"So it's just some flashy thing?" He angrily grabbed her left hand. "This is a symbol, Hermione! It means we love each other so much that we're going to spend the rest of our lives together! It's not just another piece of jewelry!!"

"Harry, you're hurting me…" Hermione winced and blinked, her eyes tearing up. After he let go, she rubbed her hand. "Besides, how does not wearing my ring in public suddenly equate to me hiding something?"

He exhaled heavily, trying to get a hold of himself. "Hermione, you understand our status in the magical world. If you wore it, everyone would know that we're going to get married."

She looked at him incredulously. "So this is just a big 'hands off' sign to you?"

"No!!" The wizard sighed. "But I don't get you, Hermione! When we were at the Christmas party, you showed the garnet off. Yet you can't do that to the wizarding world? And what about the weekends when we've planned dinner, and you come home late, just brushing me off by saying you lost track of time?"

"Now you're keeping tabs on me?!" Hermione closed her eyes. Everything had been so perfect yesterday; this was just a dream…if only it were a dream.

"What I'm saying is you need to be fair to me," Harry finally stated.

The genius witch glared at him. "'Fair' as in tell you where I am and what I'm doing twenty-four seven."

He sat down at the kitchen table. "Look, maybe we should just postpone our wedding details until we figure things out. I mean, the wedding's still months away, so we have plenty of time to both sort this out and finish planning things."

"Screw you! 'Planning things'?! I'm the only one who's done anything, like the invitations and getting the church! Sure, I had my mother's help, but I've been writing _and_ planning _our_ wedding while you run around doing Auror things, staying up late into the early morning or not coming home at all!!" Hermione tore her ring from her finger, ignoring her scraped knuckle, and dropped the gem into a surprised Harry's hand.

"Hermione, I didn't mean-"

She shook her head. "Sod off." And then she Apparated right on the spot.

It was a miracle for two reasons: a) She hadn't Splinched herself, and b) no muggles had seen her poof onto the front step of her house. But her mind was elsewhere, so she didn't really care as she began running from their house. She ran a long, winding course through the streets, over a bridge or two –the witch glumly realized it had been a while since she had last sprinted this way. Hermione slowed once she saw the street sign:

Spinner's End.

Her feet paused while she caught her breath. After a few seconds, she trudged down the path until she saw Severus's old house. Only then did reality hit her and she remembered that he was at the school. Defeated, she plopped down on his front step and drew her knees up to her face to cry. _What an idiot I am…_

_**Crunch, crunch.**_ "Hermione?"

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She snapped her head up. "Severus?"

The gravel crunched a bit more under the Potions teacher's next few steps. He stopped and looked down at her. "What happened?"

"Heh, funny story…," she said, wiping her tears away. He touched her left hand, and she let him take it.

"There's a bruise beginning to form, and this knuckle is bleeding severely." He eyed her disheveled figure before resting on her puffy eyes. "What else did he do to you?"

Hermione shook her head. "The only thing he did was grab my hand. _I_ scraped my knuckle when-"

"-you took your ring off," Severus finished for her, looking at the bare hand in his.

She nodded. "Then I threw it at him and told him to sod off." She giggled a little at her casual curse.

Sev raised an eyebrow and stood, towing her along. "Come inside. We need to bandage that."

It had been a long while, too, since she had last seen the dark interior of his house. He had her wait in the sitting room while he got a washcloth. The witch sat on the couch and looked at her surroundings. There were no pictures. Any decorations on the walls were paintings of landscapes. Several pictures depicted a kind of ranch-style house in different seasons. One particular image drew Hermione's attention: It portrayed the house under the shadow of a large oak whose orange and red leaves were littering the roof and ground.

Several minutes had passed, and Hermione wondered where Severus could have gone. She walked around the first floor, searching to no avail. Then she heard him upstairs, so she timidly climbed the stairs. But once she was there, she had to listen for him again.

The sounds came from the last door at the end of the hallway. Hermione peeked in and saw Severus bowed over some drawer. While his back was turned to her, she glanced around and realized this must be his bedroom. It was very neat, and the furnishings were mainly black, neither of which surprised her.

"Didn't your parents ever tell you that curiosity killed the cat?" he said without turning.

She jumped at the sound of his voice. "Er- Sorry, I… What are you doing in here anyway?" she asked, changing the subject.

He straightened and closed the drawer, two items of clothing draped over an arm. "Getting what I originally came home for. Some idiot first years destroyed my long jackets with sorry excuses for potions." Sev scooted her out and closed the door behind him.

"Both jackets?"

"I'm wearing the third. Unfortunately, after I waved the damaged one away, my second one became the next victim." Sev stepped past her and disappeared into the next room on the right. She followed and saw it was the bathroom. He dampened a cloth. "Give me your hand."

She did as he asked, and leaned against the door jamb. His fingers held hers gently as he cleaned the wound.

"So this is really the extent of your injuries?" he prodded again.

Hermione nodded and smiled. "Harry wouldn't do anything, Sev. I'm not an evil person, but he doesn't want to be betrayed or disappointed again." She paused. "Our argument began when he asked if I was hiding something from him. I…lied, of course. God, maybe it _is_ that simple."

"What is?" Severus asked after he muttered a quick spell and repaired her knuckle.

She looked at her hand –ring-free –and suddenly leaned her head on his shoulder. "Severus, I love you." The witch felt him tense and she suppressed a laugh. "Yes, yes, I said the big bad words. But I'm not just attracted to you. I can see the real you, who does give a damn about what happens to those he loves, though the number of those people may be small. I also understand that those times when you're ice cold you aren't actually cold or indifferent; you're angry or upset and just trying to stay in control of yourself. And then…," she continued, holding his hand, "…there are those times when you _do_ lose control, and your emotions rage like they do in anyone else. And I just…love the fact that you're normal, just like anyone else." She picked her head up and smiled. "But you're different at the same time."

Though he wanted to, Sev couldn't hide the blush that doused his cheeks. He roughly pushed past her, but she didn't really move.

"Two people can't go through the doorway at the same time," she pointed out.

He eyed her as if she were an anomaly.

"If you expect me to be hurt because you didn't reply to my confession, then you'll be disappointed. I know better by now to not expect anything from you," she stated casually.

_That_ irked him. "So you expect nothing?"

Hermione blinked. _Okay, bad choice of words…_ She blinked again as his face drew near hers and he kissed her with the same fervor he had possessed that first time he had kissed her. She was so surprised that she stumbled backwards, but she did not hit the wall. Severus held her waist and kicked the door shut behind him.

If anything, he kept on surprising her. The kisses became more heated than she thought was possible –or imaginable. Amidst the hormones, her fingers undid the buttons of his jacket, and he slid her turtleneck top over her head before she unbuttoned his white shirt and tossed it on the floor with his jacket. She traced his pale scars with her fingertips, taken in by the damage he had received while in Voldemort's service and during the war. His hand covered hers when it stopped over his heart, and he gave her a sweet kiss then.

Then the passion was not merely passion anymore. It carried with it certain intentions, certain feelings Hermione knew Severus would never _ever_ voice. Riding that emotion, the rest of the clothes were removed and each stood before the other, naked and vulnerable. Sev twisted a tendril of Hermione's hair around his index finger and again neared her, occupying any personal space that might have been left.

He tilted her head up to kiss her again as his body pressed against hers, and she almost turned to putty in his arms. With one of his hands he traced a looping path down her spine, causing her to shiver and arch her back. Her breasts grazed his chest, arousing him. Then his hands grasped her buttocks, and he guided her onto him. Their lip lock never broke as they built up a steady rhythm that picked up speed. She climaxed right before he exploded inside her, but that did not stop them.

She numbly reached to the side and turned the showerhead on. Though ice cold at first, the water partially brought them back to the present before it warmed and steam began to fill the bathroom. The heat messed with them as the hot water flowed over them, and Severus caught the rivulets of water traveling down Hermione's breasts on his tongue. She gave a little gasp, and another gasp escaped her when his fingers found her down below.

It was utter ecstasy, finally knowing every last part of one another. Once Sev straightened up, Hermione's hand hovered down his chest until it came to rest on his member. He kissed her neck as they gyrated, and she eventually guided him back inside her. The number of peaks was too many to count, and somehow they expended all their energy and built up a reserve of exhaustion. Severus turned off the water and bent down to be eye level with Hermione before kissing her again. He kissed the top of her head before picking her up and carrying her to his room, where he tucked her in for some much needed rest.

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**How…explicit. …and hot! YAAAY!!! Things are fine, things are awkward, a fight breaks out, one confesses her love –which leads to a bout of screwing. Heh, Sev. As Mel Brooks said, "It's good to be da king." Please review. If you don't review, Snemione will cry. See you in 18!**

**-mew-tsubaki**

**P.S. –Maybe I should dub this chappie "NC-17". Heh.**


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